It was the moment when I landed at the Los Angeles airport, disembarked from the plane, inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and meditated on the inspiring wide blue horizon, that I realized that my dream was coming true. I was overwhelmed by mixed feelings of immense happiness, anxiety, challenge, and limitless energy and motivation to break all boundaries and limits.
I am so grateful for such an unbelievable opportunity, which will help me in achieving my dreams of changing Egypt and the world into a better place to live. I will do this through learning and applying the top engineering and cutting-edge technologies at the University of California, Los Angeles. I now have the opportunity to pursue my dream of conducting research in renewable energy which will transform Egypt into a greener place to live, improve the standard of living through developing the power infrastructure, and contribute to the establishment of a new green economy in Egypt.
The past nine months have been the most wonderful experience I have had in my life; words are not enough to express how thankful, happy, and proud to be part of such an amazingly rewarding experience I am. Over these past 9 months, I have had the chance to meet amazing people from all around the world from diverse backgrounds and cultures, sharing inspiring stories and experiences, and learning the true meaning of motivation as we work hard to achieve our dreams.
I am lucky to have met wonderful professors from different fields who have taught me a lot both academically and personally as they shared their interests and experiences with worldwide issues in energy, the environment, politics, poverty, health, and peace. These encounters broadened my horizon, intellect, and awareness.
I have had the opportunity to engage with the Fulbright community here and participate in several enriching events, including volunteering to help the homeless, meeting with the staff from the LA times, visiting the LA River, and visiting JPL. These activities have allowed me to meet other great Fulbrighters to discuss the future of the US and our countries, explore how we can work together to solve the complex issues facing the world today to change it into a better and safer place to live in, and spread our feelings of love for one another.
Finally, I have had the chance to travel around the US; visiting the beautiful inspiring grand canyon with its spectacular scenery; passing by San Francisco in the spring; seeing the unbelievable golden gate bridge which I always used to see in movies; and experiencing beautiful sunny Venice Beach with its unique palm trees, singers, skaters, and people.
I am so grateful and proud to have been granted this once-in-a- lifetime opportunity by the generous Fulbright organization and the US government; it is a life-shaping and game-changing opportunity!
Ahmed Mohamed is an Egyptian Fulbright pursuing an MS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles.
