Meet a Colleague: Aseel Atalla Aseel Atalla is an Arabic teaching assistant in the Middle East and South Asia studies program.

W&L News Office
March 13, 2024

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have been working in W&L for one year.

Q. What are you teaching this term?
I run conversational sessions and cultural events to promote Arabic language and culture studies.

Q. What is the most satisfying aspect of teaching?
To see students speaking the Arabic language and having an interest in the culture is very satisfying to me.

Q. What do you like most about working at W&L?
I like the fact that the W&L community is very resourceful and supportive. Since I have started working in the MESA department, I have grown professionally on many levels.

Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus?
I love the bridge connecting the Elrod Commons building with Wilson field. It is very green and vibrant. It disconnects me from the outside world in seconds.

Q. What advice do you have for students?
I advise the students to make the best out of their time in W&L. They need to take advantage of all the services provided and build connections with people. This strong network will benefit them in their professional and social life.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?
I love hiking and being in Virginia makes me feel that I am in the right place to practice my hobby.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a beautiful district called Heliopolis in Cairo, Egypt.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I do not think I had a clear idea about what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I loved art and sports very much.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
Hiking in the Osumi Canyon in Berat, Albania was one of the most adventurous and exciting things I have ever done. The canyon was gorgeous and the city was lively.

Q. What music are you listening to these days?
Pop music is my favorite and I play it all day long.

Q. What is the website you visit most often and why?
Alltrails.com is the website I visit most often these days to decide on my upcoming weekend adventure.

Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
I would love to have coffee with King Farouk, the last king of Egypt. Life in Egypt back then was better, I believe.

Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
I would love to live in a small townhouse somewhere around Sinai by the red sea. Wake up to smell the sea every day and go on a boat trip every weekend. This sounds like the kind of life I want.

Q. What is your favorite film (movie) of all time?
“Leon: The Professional” is my favorite movie for no reason other than it was the first English movie I ever watched as a kid, and I got so attached to the Matilda character.

Q. Tell us something most people do not know about you.
I love anything that is pink and has glitter.

Q. What is your secret talent?
I am good with anything visual: art, decor, photography and graphics.