Music has been part of Dana's life for as long as she can remember. She began studying violin at age four and, later, at the encouragement of her violin teacher, took up piano. At fourteen, she was accepted into the Cairo Conservatory in Egypt, where she pursued piano performance and music composition alongside her high school studies.
Dana, who is blind, has long understood that access to knowledge and opportunity is not equally distributed and that technology is one of the most powerful tools available to change that. It is what drew her to computer science and the United States, where she felt the interdisciplinary structure of American universities and the country's comparatively strong support systems for blind individuals would give her the best chance to pursue both of her passions at once. She realized that “through computer science, [she] could work in so many areas and industries due to its myriad applications, while also pursuing interests in technology that positively impacts healthcare and accessibility.”
She first connected with Amideast at a career fair held at her high school, and from there the relationship grew into something far more significant than a single conversation. Throughout the application process, her Amideast counselors helped her navigate the system and identify opportunities and she was ultimately accepted to many of the schools she applied to.
“Amideast's support has played a significant role in my journey; it was one of the keys that allowed me to reach my dream,” she says.
For Dana, the Amideast MENA Scholarship Support Fund (MSSF) removed a significant financial barrier to attending school in the U.S. The RISE program also added a layer of support, its workshops and events keeping her focused on the broader goal behind her studies, which was to serve others and make an impact.
Today, Dana is a student at Whitworth University. She reports the most rewarding part of her studies so far has been discovering just how wide her reach can be. Through classes and internships, she has found herself continually motivated by how many fields her work can touch and how many people it can serve.
But as with college, the path hasn't been without obstacles. A recurring challenge in her computer science studies has been the lack of accessibility in software and tools used for programming and development.
“Although there have been significant improvements in the accessibility of many technologies, there are still tools and environments that aren't fully accessible with screen readers," she says.
Her response has been to find alternative approaches, advocate for change where possible, join accessibility groups and keep pushing.
“These experiences have also strengthened my interest in accessibility and motivated me to think about how I can contribute to making technology more inclusive for others.”
For students navigating similarly demanding paths, Dana encourages them to take breaks. It might seem obvious, she acknowledges, but burnout and demotivation are not abstract risks. They actively get in the way of growth and success. Rest, in her view, is not a concession to difficulty, but a part of the work.
Dana closed her interview with gratitude, to her Amideast counselor Mrs. Rasha Hamdy, whose belief in her “has meant so much throughout this journey,” to her parents for their endless support and love, and to RISE and Amideast for helping make the journey possible. She is, she says, excited to keep building on everything she has learned.
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