QAD graduate dedicated to enacting social change

Tamara Al Sayed is an 18-year-old student who has just graduated from Qatar Academy Doha as a global citizen, passionate about making a difference in the world.

“Qatar Academy Doha has always been about creating strong, independent citizens,” says Tamara. “We were given countless projects and opportunities to grow as individuals – from visiting a space camp in Turkey to attending the Paris Model United Nations (MUN) Conference in France.

“I found these trips very educational, and believe I became a more independent learner as a result of them. They shaped my personality and my identity.”

Tamara became involved in Qatar Foundation’s own MUN event – THIMUN – in grade 9. First as a delegate, then a member of the administration team, and finally, in her last year at school, as Head of Press.

“MUN is an environment where people come to grow as individuals and collectively as a society. Personally, it helped me develop my public speaking, critical thinking, and communication skills, as well as my leadership and organizational skills. Because of MUN, I’m now a confident individual who actively and publicly shares my views on global issues.”

Speaking about her role as Head of Press, Tamara notes that the press team is responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the event are covered, helping to make the experience as memorable as possible.

“When I first started to apply for positions within the team, my motivation was to bring awareness to the importance of MUN through pictures, social media, videos, and reporting. That motivation grew with each event, and I found ways to make the conferences stand out.”

Tamara, a Syrian-Palestinian student who has grown up in Doha, went to Qatar Academy Doha for 15 years. Describing how the school positively impacted her life, she says that her favorite part about it was the very diverse administration and faculty who helped shape her into the person she is today – both academically and personally.

“Ultimately, Qatar Academy has prepared me for the next chapter in my life. It has shown me that there is so much more to learn outside the classroom, and through its education system has shown me that learning doesn’t only come from books. We need to ask questions about what we are studying, and not just memorize facts for the sake of passing the course.

“We have to truly understand what we are learning in classrooms to comprehend and make a difference in the world.”

Next year, Tamara will be attending Northwestern University in Qatar – a Qatar Foundation partner university – and will be studying Journalism. And it was her experience with MUN that inspired her to pursue this profession.

“In my role within the press team, I realized that I was very passionate about journalism, the way media portrays events, and the impact that media has on our lives. I am also very interested in politics, and I want to help make the world a better place. I believe that I will be able to contribute to that through media.

“And while I am not one hundred percent sure of what I want to do after university, I know that I’d like to work within the media field – whether as a reporter, as a journalist, or something else.”