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Alumni Spotlight: Myriam Aziz

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By Myriam Aziz (YES 2007-2008, Lebanon, hosted by AYUSA in Bellingham, WA)

My experience in the U.S. first exposed me to different cultures, narratives, and world views. It made me realize my passion to bridge cultural and political gaps and my love for diversity. I was placed with a host family composed of a White American host dad and a first generation Chinese host mom and two host sisters. With my host family’s help and support, I learned to maneuver living in the midst of several cultures and practicing some conflict resolution skills. Similarly, I learned about diversity and world views in a mostly white high school, where most students had never met a Lebanese person. My YES experience was my first-step in my career, even if I did not know it at the time.

After my YES year in Bellingham, WA, I returned to Lebanon and attended the Lebanese American University. In my undergraduate years, I interned at the United Nations Special Coordinator Office in Lebanon, the highest UN political office in Lebanon. I worked with the Media Protocol Department. In 2013, I graduated with high distinction and a degree in Political Science and International Affairs and a minor in Psychology. I was awarded the President’s Award for high-caliber leadership skills and outstanding academic performance. Upon graduation, I interned at the Salam Institute for Peace and Justice in DC and focused on interfaith work.

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Myriam at work with UNHCR

With a political science background, I was always closely following the unfolding of the Syrian crisis. In 2014, I began working at United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which I now consider to be the most meaningful and educational experience I have done to date. I was a fresh graduate eager to do work in the field and was thrilled to work with an international, structured organization. At UNHRC I began as a registration assistant and worked my way up to a senior resettlement assistant. The spillover effects of the crisis reached a high in 2015 with a momentous refugee influx. I was eager to do more structural, long-term work, hence my position as a senior resettlement assistant.

While working at UNHCR, I also served as a Youth Advisory Council member at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. At one point, the U.S. Embassy had a significant amount of solar-powered flashlights they needed to donate. I coordinated between the U.S. Embassy and my UNHCR Zahle sub-office to distribute them to the different Syrian informal settlements in the Bekaa.

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Myriam when she worked with UNHCR

My work with UNHCR greatly prepared me to understand the realities of Syrians’ lives in Lebanon and the need for more permanent, long-term, sustainable solutions. It became evident to me that I needed to study Conflict Transformation to serve my country better and work towards a more sustainable political and social climate.

In 2015, I was awarded the Fulbright scholarship to pursue a graduate degree in Conflict Transformation. During which time, I served as a graduate assistant for several professors. I was also awarded the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding Arts-based grant, which I used to produce a short documentary centering the narratives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. In the summer of 2016, I interned at the Lebanese Permanent Mission to the United Nations in the New York Headquarters.

In 2017, upon graduation, I was offered a Teaching Fellowship position at EMU, which is where I am today. The long-term plan has always been to join the Lebanese Foreign Service. I hope to do so upon my return to Lebanon after I complete my teaching fellowship at EMU. And to think, YES experience will always be the first-step of my career!

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Myriam and some of her fellow Lebanese YES alumni after completing a service project

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