I am honored to be the Yemeni American News’ student of the Year and an American Association of Yemeni Scientists and Professionals scholarship recipient at the same time. I thank both organizations for their support and contribution. It is a sign of the changing times and progress of the Yemeni community. I am enthusiastic about the advancement of Yemenis and the best way to support this movement is to develop a supporting structure for students. The base of my supporting structure is kept intact by my parents.
I am the daughter of immigrants from the village of Mawir in Yemen. I was the first child in my family to be born in America and at first my parents tried to keep the foreign American culture at arms length. My mother kept a protective eye over my siblings and I at all times and was suspicious of outside influences. My parents, like so many others, took comfort in living in a Yemeni dominated community. However, as they grew accustomed to the American lifestyle, they saw the importance of integrating the two worlds.
My father taught me to choose the best parts of the Yemeni and American cultures to create the best possible lifestyle. From my Yemeni heritage, I learned the pride and persistence of a strong people. I learned to overcome and to strengthen the bonds I shared with others. I also learned not to take myself so seriously and to be able to laugh at my slip-ups. From the American culture, I learned to be self-reliant and to never hide my ambition or competitive nature. I learned that the resilient always triumph and that those who resist adaptation are left behind. The only way to stand on your own is with an inner confidence substantiated with an education.
My mother taught me the basic morals that everyone should live by. From her, I learned to speak my mind, but with respect to whomever I am addressing. Respect, while often mentioned, is not as common as one would think. It is unreasonable to think that you will agree with everyone you will ever come across, but disrespecting others will never close the divide. My mother taught me to be kind to everyone, but to choose my true friends with care. She demonstrated by example the patience and sacrifice necessary to keep priorities in order.
Overall, I believe my parents were mostly focused on teaching me to be a decent person. From them, I learned life lessons that are applicable to the world in general. So, while my parents hardly ever preached on the pulpit of education, they were my constant supporters and never held me back. They gave me free reign over my schooling and workload. They knew that lecturing would never encourage dedication; instead, they allowed me to realize the importance of an education on my own.
My parents are proud of my accomplishments and I am proud to have such wise parents. Once again, I would like to thank the Yemeni American News and the AAYSP once again for allowing me this honor.
