Qatar: The Land of Opportunities
Currently, I am studying at Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, one of the best medical colleges in the world. Ten years ago, my doing this would have been considered a mere dream. However, the dramatic changes in education in Qatar were pivotal to my life and will hopefully be to my future also.
One day when I was in the 7th grade, the principal came in to the middle of the classroom, interrupted the teacher, and called a few students’ names. My name was on that list. I did not understand what was going on. 
The school distributed some papers among us and asked us to give them to our parents. In those papers, there was something mentioned about a new scientific school. My father was excited, since they chose only a few people to enroll in this school and they claimed it was one of the best schools in the country. The school was going to introduce a new approach to education in Qatar, and so they selected the best students to try this different style of learning. It wasn’t until later that I felt really happy or appreciated this life-changing opportunity.
Everything happened fast. The days were flying by and the years were passing by, and I was walking along a new path in my life. Every day I learned new things that I never thought I would know until many years later. I was fortunate to have this kind of high education; not all people had it at that time. When I entered high school, it was also a very different experience for me. School was not just about education and academic performance; we also had a lot of activities inside and outside the classroom. Education was all about balancing and consolidating our knowledge and gaining more information from other people, like the visitors from different schools, cultures, and countries. This kind of multi-cultural education helped us to be open-minded and not to restrict our thinking by boundaries.
Choosing a specialty and applying to college was the biggest step I have ever taken in my life. Having the best colleges in Qatar was a motivation for me to work harder in order to meet those colleges’ requirements. I have always strived for greatness and being an average student was not something that I had in mind. I chose to enter the field of medicine and to work hard with the help of God in order to reach my goal.
After I began studying at the college, I had another surprise waiting for me. One time, I was sitting and doing my work after all my colleagues had left for home. My friend called me. She said, "You are on the list!” I wondered what she was talking about. What special list had my name on it?
“What list?” I asked.
She told me that I was one of the students who was going to be awarded for Excellence in Education by His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. At that moment, I felt like all the hard work I had done was eventually going to be appreciated by others. The award gave me motivation to work even harder.
The ceremony happened a week later. We had to go early to rehearse. When I entered the hall, the place was dark, only sparsely lit with lights of different colors. People of all ages were there. One of the ceremony coordinators walked me to my seat, where I sat patiently waiting to rehearse before the ceremony began. The people in charge said that they would mention our names and we would have to walk fast to the stage. My name was the first on the list. At that moment I was shocked. I did not want to be the first person. I was very nervous. My parents arrived later that evening for the ceremony; they were happier than I was and very proud of my accomplishment. 
When it was time for me to receive the award, I felt that my steps were heavy. I was nervous, and I could not move fast. However, when I reached the stage I felt more comfortable. I smiled, took my certificate, and had a picture taken with His Highness. When I got off the stage and sat in my chair, all of my friends started sending me messages, telling me how great I was. That moment was probably the best moment for me. To be successful and loved by other people was something that I always try to achieve. I have always liked to balance between my work and social life, and that evening I felt I had achieved a perfect balance. When I went home, my brothers were waiting to congratulate me. That was one of the best days of my life.
I used to think that there are limits for our ambitions and dreams. Now I totally disagree with this point of view. We hear all the time that America is the land of opportunities, but now I certainly believe that Qatar is one, even more so. The changes in the last few years in Qatar's education have influenced many young people’s lives for the better. As a British playwright once said: “You see things and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say, 'Why not?’”
This is how I feel now.
You never know where you might end up or if your wildest dreams might eventually come true. You just have to believe in yourself and have faith in your dreams. I have full faith in mine.
