[I'm on the right. A 'real signs from around the world' exhibit in Copenhagen, Summer 2009]
I'm crazy.
Well, no, not really.
But that caught your attention, didn't it?
In a way, I AM crazy.
I'm a newly-turned-eighteen-year-old sophomore that attends Wellesley College.
And the thing is, I don't think any student is sane here— in a wonderfully interesting way, of course.
My name is Laila, and my life before college hasn't especially been a humdrum one. I was born in Denmark, have Syrian and Danish parents and lived in Japan for five and a half years before I moved to the US of A.
My parents chose to homeschool me when I was fresh out of second grade, and to be honest,I never really felt the need to go back to ‘normal’ school.
And that probably is a good thing in itself; I probably wouldn't be as close to my six brothers and sisters today had I been in public school.
We’re like a little wolf pack: fiercely loyal at the outside but then completely teasing and hilarious amongst ourselves.
I first became acquainted–read: fell in love— with Wellesley as a highschool sophomore when I attended a get-to-know-the-school event with some Muslim students.
Honestly, I think it was the hide and seek in the Science Center that sealed the deal.
But let's not tell anybody!
As for other things about me, well, we'll find out in the upcoming posts.
Suffice to say, I'm an 'The Office'-aholic that doesn't shy away from insects and spiders. I'm addicted to my planner, but am a complete sucker for the seven flavors of icecream Wellesley has in every dorm hall.
[What goes down in the Tower dining hall. My future roommate, Hajara, during our first week of Orientation!]
I honestly didn't apply here because of the wonderful alumni connections.
Or the prestige of its being a women's school that knows its stuff.
I applied to this school, this lifestyle, because of the all-around personable people who attend the school.
[Repping the Class of 2012 (get it–12?) for the Muslim Students Association]
Oh, and the non-comparable professors, willing to take an hour out of their hectic schedule to go over some concepts with you.
The thing is, I do realize that my school, like a lot of other colleges, has its imperfections. But in the long term, they don't factor in to very much. I was once asked by a visiting teacher what I wished I could change most about Wellesley. And the thing is, the only thing I would like to alter would be the number of hours in a day.
So that's me!
[Roommates in the Multi-Faith Living and Learning Corridor!]
You'll probably see me around campus if you stop by– I'll be the one munching on chocolate meringues, looking through my newest course book and hanging out with my friends on Severance lawn.