- 2022 Highlights
Personal Statement
I grew up with hidden gender stereotypes. All the boys played soccer while all the girls tumbled in leotards on the gymnastics mat. By age 8 cartwheels and splits no longer excited me and I enrolled in a basketball academy. The stereotypes didn't stop there. I was one of a handful of girls learning to play, and the boys didn't want to pass the ball, so I was running up and down the court waiting to be noticed.
That feeling of being left out fueled my determination to excel and stand out and was a driving force that put me in gear to be seen, heard, and noticed as a contender. By fifth grade, I was good enough to join one of the national clubs in Jordan and was one of the starting 5 players in a tournament with girls 4 years my senior.
Being a female in a predominantly male society solidified my resolution to stand out on and off the court. As an honor roll student at an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, I was awarded a 100% Sports and Academic Scholarship that will cover my full tuition fees till I graduate from high school. Coinciding with Covid-19, rattling the whole world, an ACL injury shocked me. It was adversity that solidified my determination to become the athlete and person I wish to be. Hours of physiotherapy, functional and sports-specific training put me back in the game one year after surgery as captain of the U14 team where we won the Jordanian Championship and I was awarded the best three-point shooter of the season.
My injury taught me to respect and nourish my body, feed my mind, basketball taught me discipline, determination, and the importance of being a team player. These lessons I hope to carry on in my future both as a college basketball player and pre-med student where I will continue to break Arab stereotypes.
