Why NELC? I became interested in the Middle East after traveling to Morocco when I was 15. Because of this experience, I decided to take an Arabic class freshman year, and since then I've taken classes on Arabic cinema, the history of the Ottoman Empire, politics and culture in the modern Arab world, anthropology in Arabia, Israeli and Palestinian history, and Arab-American literature.

Recent related experience: Studied abroad at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and the Arabic Language Institute in Fez, Morocco. I've interned at the American Repertory Theater, City Heart Boston, ArtLifting, and Boston Center for the Arts)