About Me

I am a undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and a minor in Arabic studies. I play wheelchair basketball for the University and enjoy the competition and physical challenge that comes with being a student-athlete. I use a prosthetic limb--I have been a right-leg amputee for thirteen years and enjoy having a conversation-starter literally at my hip. I have a one brother, Michael, who is finishing up his freshman year at Yale studying engineering, a father in graphic design, and a mother who works as a court commissioner. They push me to be creative, challenge myself, and pursue what I want to pursue. Recently, I find language and culture especially interesting because it allows me to meet new people and travel to new destinations. Studying Arabic has brought a new dimension of learning into my academic vision; it has put me in contact with individuals from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco who offer different perspectives on my study abroad prospects and my journey as a political science student. I am always seeking opportunities that combine my skills, interests, and identity. For example, my studies have opened up an opportunity to staff a wheelchair basketball camp in Jerusalem that serves wounded Palestinians. This would be an ideal experience for me because it combines the sport that I love and the identity I own as a disabled individual, the language skills I have developed, and would take place in a region of deep political significance.