My father immigrated to the United States from Lebanon before I was born. The rest of his family still lives in Lebanon and we go every summer to visit them and learn more about our culture and relatives. My two siblings and I have spent many years in Arabic school learning how to read and write in Arabic, and I am fluent enough to communicate with my many cousins and friends I have in Lebanon. In Lebanon you constantly see trash lining the streets, and people rummaging through trash to find dinner for the night. I am commited to helping ease the trash crisis in Lebanon and have spent much time researching and interviewing recycling programs in Lebanon. Additionally, I make sure to do my share of picking up trash off the streets locally to ensure that my community in the United States doesn't one day look like my community in Lebanon.

I really believe that my background and culture strongly influence the things I wish to change about our world today. Seeing trash in the streets in Lebanon and in nearby towns makes me want to do things that can help improve the environment so that people can live a more fulfilling life like the one that I am grateful to have.