When Passion Meets Excellence

For someone who wants to do everything, AUC rises to the challenge. “I was really, really happy to have the option to study a lot of different things. I couldn’t choose one specific aspect to focus on because that just wasn’t fulfilling to me,” says Mona Nasr, a member of the first cohort of AUC’s Excellence Scholars. 

“Without the Excellence Scholarship, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to study here,” Nasr adds. “I love that it focuses not only on academics, but the person as a whole. You can show your strengths in more ways than one, like in leadership, talent or sports.” 

Nasr’s strengths fall across the board. Already in a host of co curricular activities alongside planning a psychology major and political science minor, the ability to engage in different academic and non-academic endeavors at AUC lets Nasr fully explore her overall interest: working with people. 

“I love the idea of knowing how the world works,” she says. “Psychology allows me to study how our minds function and why we behave the way we do. Political science adds another layer, as politics affect everything about how we live and integrate in society.”. 

What she learns in the classroom is instantly applicable in the many student organizations she has joined, one being Mashroo3 Kheir, a student group that leads educational and aid initiatives focused on giving back to the community. “Working with student groups has been a really great experience,” she says. “Being able to get involved is a big part of why I was so excited to attend AUC.”.

While she’s not studying, Nasr manages to find time to pursue her non-academic passion which is singing. “I've been singing for as long as I can remember, ever since I was 3 years old. It's something that's very much a part of my family,” she says. 

Nasr’s mother is a recording artist and owns a music production company, and they even recorded a song together. “It's always been something that's very related to family for me and a big part of who I am,” she says. “It helps me feel balanced with my academics, like it completes my personality.”

What advice helps guide her during her journey at AUC? 

“I feel like for so many people my age, in this part of our lives, there are so many decisions to make,” she says. “You don't know what you should study, you don't know what's going to make you more successful, and sometimes I see people choose things they don’t actually like just to do things that they think will get them a high-paying job. But for me, the advice that I've gotten from many older family members is that if you do what you love, you'll be happy with what you're doing. And you will eventually, with dedication, find success.”

For someone who does as many things as Nasr, AUC is a great place to showcase her strengths in every discipline – no need to sacrifice any piece of her passion.