International Perspectives: Reem Kandil ’16 International Perspectives, John Gunn Scholar, Cairo, Egypt
“I live at the Global Service House, which is a real pleasure. Our house’s first floor is decorated with items given by previous (and current) international students, from a quirky hat from Bulgaria to a taxidermied piranha from Brazil…sharp teeth included. It’s a very cool place to hang out and live.”
Tell us about your home. What do you miss most?
My home is Cairo, Egypt. Born and raised there, regardless of what my accent may imply. I have a sister and a brother who are both what makes life worth living and the bane of my existence…and parents whom I am very lucky to have. I miss my mum’s cooking, specifically her “Koshary,” which is a traditional Egyptian dish.
Talk a bit about your prior study abroad experience.
My home university is the American University in Cairo, and I have studied abroad in Lund University in Sweden. Lund is a very distinct town with its lovely architecture, cobblestone streets and practically ancient cathedral. I studied Economics, Swedish and a humanities course called “Religion and Politics,” which was utterly fascinating!
What brought you to Washington and Lee?
I was selected to be the Gunn scholar for this academic year. I stumbled upon the scholarship’s brochure by chance in one of my home university business school’s notice e-mails, and I am very glad that I made the decision to apply.
What has been most surprising about W&L and Lexington so far?
How tight-knit the community is. The shift from a big metropolitan city to a small town where everyone knew everyone was a bit of a shock, yet I find myself really liking it! The town is very green to say the least (as you might have guessed we don’t have much of those green things in Cairo), and the fall is unbelievably beautiful.
Favorite Class?
My “Intro to Political Philosophy” course is great, regardless of the not-insignificant reading load. It discusses very interesting content, from Plato to Rousseau to Marx and many others.
Where are you living?
I live at the Global Service House, which is a real pleasure. Our house’s first floor is decorated with items given by previous (and current) international students, from a quirky hat from Bulgaria to a taxidermied piranha from Brazil…sharp teeth included. It’s a very cool place to hang out and live. We also have Campus Kitchen in our basement, so you can’t really ask for more here.
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