"Alpha through the eyes of an Alpha" - Hanaa ElSammak

It was my very first day.I vaguely remember the way I entered the crowded hall I had never been to before. Looking into the eyes of unfamiliar faces and wondering which of them I'll grow closer to. As my very first meeting started the board of 2014/2015 introduced themselves, one by one. It was a strange feeling. I distinctly remember one of the board members saying that we would all come in groups of friends the next meeting. I honestly just thought that that was a ridiculous expectation. I barely even knew his name let alone anyone else's. Days passed and we started our first project: Ramadan2Go. I made a few friends and started to feel more comfortable. The project presented obstacles and efficiency was always needed. I slowly began to notice a change in the way I thought about a lot of things. Learning about marketing, fundraising and money management gave me a different outlook on life. And I got to see people living in subhuman conditions which opened my eyes to some of God's simplest blessings. But by far my favourite part was to watch an idea come to life in the form of a mini-project.

Since Ramadan2Go I've experienced multiple projects each leaving a profound impact on my personality. I learned that the youth has power to change things. Or at least some of them. The mega projects that were done in the past year blew me away. I couldn't imagine a bunch of kids essentially, raising over 1 million pounds for a medical cause or hungry people. And yet I was proven wrong every time I witnessed a project come to life. Each serving a different purpose. From feeding the poor to exposing the hidden talents of the handicapped. It takes us weeks and sometimes months to prepare for a project but every time the smiles we witness are worth it. They aren't just any smiles. They're smiles that were hidden by deprivation and fear and only had the courage to come out now. They were the best kind of smiles. And here's the thing. I want to be as real as I can telling you about my experience. It was certainly not all flowers and rainbows. I've had conflicts with friends and board members along the way. I met good people and got to know backstabbers. See, if you walk in here thinking that the yin and yang of life aren't balanced think again. You'll meet everyone here. Personally I can now see the outcome of the diversity, I observe people unlike before. I am better able to differentiate between the ones I want to get closer to and the ones I should steer clear of. I am no longer the girl who walked in hoping to make friends with everyone. I grew tremendously and found myself in more ways than I thought I would. My experience,  overall was enriching and I was given a platform to voice my thoughts and be heard. Around here all ideas are appreciated.
Just a few months back we started electing the board members of the year 2015/2016. I was no longer confronted by the feeling of otherness, no longer confused about what was happening. And now each time I enter the huge hallway I go in a group of friends. The idea I once thought was ridiculous.

Hanaa ElSammak