JEDDAH, 18 June 2006 — A Saudi political science honor student at the University of California in Los Angeles delivered the Commencement Address on Friday before 3,000 graduating students, calling on students to conquer their fears and never forget the bigger picture as they go through life.
“I have learned fear is always there no matter what we are doing or what stage we are at in life. I realize that it’s graduation, and that this is prime time for people’s fears to kick in. But let’s beat it,” said Manal Quota, a 20-year-old native of Jeddah.
“Always remember that we are a global community where each decision we make has an effect on everyone else.... Through our experiences in the last four years, UCLA has taught us to look beyond our selves and to visualize the bigger image. We can never forget that lesson,” she added.
Quota was a student with a distinguished record of political involvement and community service, according to a press release from UCLA.
“Manal brought to UCLA an enormous spirit, and her accomplishments are extraordinary,” said Marc Mayerson, assistant dean of social sciences and head of the speaker selection committee. “She is truly an international citizen and scholar. In her we see the best of our common cause and humanity.”
Apart from graduating with a 3.7 grade point average, Quota had a slew of community service achievements. She tutored a second-grader in Watts and worked with underprivileged children in Burbank. She also joined another student activist in putting together a two-day exploration of human trafficking for 50 undergraduate-level students from universities across California.
Her efforts won her a Chancellor’s Service Award in May, a distinction for exemplary community service.
“I’m coming back to Jeddah at the end of the summer and hope to get a job in international development or at a non-profit organization before I apply for graduate school,” Quota told Arab News in a telephone interview from Los Angeles yesterday.
“My mom, sister and brother attended my graduation, but my father was not able to because of his work,” she explained.
Quota also interned at Arab News as a reporter last year, and later worked as a correspondent in Los Angeles, writing many stories on social issues that impressed many in the newsroom.
She traces her passion in world affairs and global economic justice back to a stint at a British high school in Egypt.
“In Saudi Arabia, I have a privileged life with a maid and chauffer - there, that’s normal,” she said.
“But in Cairo there was such a distinction between the wealthy and the poor. It really struck me as unfair and made me re-examine the life I was leading. That ultimately helped me figure out what I want to do with my life.”
