Theo Helm Moreau FYE 10102 March 4, 2022 Living up to, and beyond, a name Farida (Arabic: ة���� ) —feminine adjective of Middle Eastern origin; translates to unique in Arabic, and precious pearl in Indonesia and southeast Asia. It was as though she had chosen her name herself, as traces of her name’s definition were weaved through events and decisions she made since the day she could walk. In fact, her life is the physical embodiment of the word farida . Raised by a single mom in a tumultuous corner of Cairo, Egypt, she grew up with the Arab Spring and Egyptian Revolution occurring right outside her window. Experiencing historic events from a young age led her to daydream a career in politics and global affairs; at the ripe old age of six, flaws in the justice system were made crystal clear to her. Her version of playing with toys resembled something like picking up a fork and a spoon (the spikes in the fork resembled President Morsi’s messy hair, she thought) and simplifying the political situation to her younger brother, Omar. Her version of watching TV was anxiously keeping up with day to day news and ignoring the instinctive urge to look away from graphic scenes. With a childhood marked by the awareness that her apartment building could be bombed at any moment, she couldn’t help but ponder her mortality (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). At that moment, she refused to leave this world without rectifying said injustices in some way. “I want to become a news reporter! Or… a lawyer! I also want to help immigrants seek refuge!” (“Domer Dozen” by Notre Dame Alumni Association - Moreau FYE Week Two). Her ambition gave her something to look forward to even when she persisted through dark times, both literally and figuratively (her access to stable electricity was, let’s just say, rare. Some of her brother’s fondest memories include him making up songs with her on the kitchen floor while waiting for the light to come back on). Although Farida’s upbringing forced her to grow up rather prematurely, her circumstances are ultimately what helped shape the person she became as an adult. During her undergraduate years at the University of Notre Dame, in the early 2020s, her college friends recall complaining about the residential conditions, which they thought were less than ideal. According to her randomly assigned first-year roommate Ella Maria, Farida always tried to stay optimistic and point out how fortunate they were to attend such a prestigious university in the first place, and how access to stable access to electricity and water is a blessing most students tend to overlook. Given the fact that she had grown up in an environment where she could not afford to think about more than the necessities, her attitude was marked by a sense of deep gratitude. Her children hold onto her journal, in which she wrote down three wins each day, and continue this tradition to commemorate her dedication to mindfulness and giving thanks (“Ways to Practice Mindfulness” by McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Week 6). All of Farida’s friends can attest to the fact that she was also leaping outside of her comfort zone (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week 5), regardless of how uncomfortable the experience would be—competing on the national tennis team in Egypt, no cursing for a full year in 7th grade (succeeded for 11 months and two weeks), speaking six languages and continuing to learn more, working alongside Greta Thunberg’s colleagues and organizing events surrounding environmental racism, having her work be featured on Teen Vogue British Vogue, and becoming a part-time translator to make climate information more accessible to non-English speakers all by age 18… the list goes on and on. Later in her adulthood, she accomplished her dream of becoming a neuroscience researcher in Dublin, Ireland. Her published studies on the neurobiology of language acquisition, as well as her contributions to the field of trauma-informed developmental psychology and abnormal psychopathology, are of great value and are now being implemented in schools and in London’s Elijah Social Cognitive Skills Centre (“Exploring a life well-lived - Career Development Reflection” Activity by Meruelo Family Center for career Development- Moreau FYE Week 4). Although all the women in her family were encouraged to simply get a bachelor’s degree, get married, abandon their careers and live a simple at-home life, Farida refused to live such a life. She asked herself, why would you settle for the bare minimum if you are capable of so much more? (“Exploring a life well-lived - Career Development Reflection” Activity by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). At her core, Farida lived with a philosophy that merges values and traditions from Buddhist spirituality and Islam. Her upbringing in a devout muslim household instilled deep faith in her; surrendenering to the natural flow of life became second nature to her (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Being a kind, respectful, and compassionate individual to all was what she embodied, and was the reason why she was adamant about advocating for people of color who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). People discouraged her from moving to a different country, from pursuing a degree in the sciences, from having different beliefs than her family, from devoting energy to advocating for environmental justice, and for having her own way of living that may be perceived as unconventional for some. What was most important to her, though, was utilizing her experiences to make others’ lives better than hers, so external criticism did not get in the way of achieving her vision. As long as she was armed with determination in one hand and compassion in the other, she could overcome obstacles in her way, practice love as an act of resistance and work towards a more just future. This, to her, is a life well-lived.