ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, 18 May 2007 — The more than 1,500 student finalists at the International Science and Engineering Fair were asked to submit questions for the Nobel Laureates on the panel of judges. Out of the handful selected was one by Chaima Bouhlel, a senior from Dhahran Ahliya School in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
In addition to getting the chance to pose her question at a special event in front of hundreds of her peers, she also was invited to a luncheon with the Nobel Prize winners where the table conversations were far-ranging and insightful.
Bhoulel is one of six Saudi girls participating in the competition. Her three-member team has a project titled “Softening Decarbonated Water” that is entered in the fair’s Environmental Sciences: Water Pollution and Water Quality category.
“My question to the Nobel Laureates was: ‘If their goal in life was ever to make a change in the world, what was the ultimate impact they’ve had on it by winning a Nobel Prize?’ I asked it because I thought I could learn from their experiences because they obviously made positive changes to the world,” Bouhlel told Arab News. “The reason we research so much in science is so we can improve our lives and find solutions for problems that we have. That’s what I really wanted to know.”
The question she posed tells you something about the young lady’s insatiable curiosity and her intention to do something meaningful with her life. It’s a drive that has distinguished her at Dhahran Ahliya School and helped her get accepted to prestigious Harvard University, one of the best colleges of the United States.
“It never occurred to me that I would ever apply to the United States until the beginning of this year,” Bouhlel said. “Someone made it clear that I did have a chance to apply, so I applied to three colleges, Princeton, Middlebury and Harvard, and I was accepted at Harvard.”
For many students, accepting the challenges of simply attending would be enough, but Bouhlel has set a higher goal for herself.
“I’m planning to do a double major, medicine and international law,” she said. “If I pursue medicine, it wouldn’t be practical medicine; it would be more into research.” The fit between international law and medicine might not be readily apparent, but the young lady offers a convincing explanation.
“When I came to think of it, I decided we all want to make a positive change in the world, and I was thinking that we have two major aspects health and rights,” Bouhlel said. “If you have healthy people with no rights, that’s not a balanced life, and if you have people with rights who are unhealthy, that’s not balanced, either. So I decided to address both.”
Bouhlel said she’s studied at Dhahran Ahliya School since she was three years old. Both of her parents teach at the school, and she suspects that her parents’ understanding of the school’s educational goals gave her a great deal of consistency in direction that has enabled her to achieve so much.
“All the teachers had a great impact on me,” Bouhlel said. “They guide you to acquire the skills; they don’t push them on you, so that’s what helped me.” She credits one woman in particular for giving her the confidence to aim for the top.
“Dr. Sally Al-Turki, the president of the school, made me feel that it was possible to reach the furthest you can — that you have no limits for whatever you dream for,” Bouhlel said. “Harvard was never on my mind, and she encouraged me to reach for it.” Inventor Thomas Edison said that genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, and a look at the young Saudi girl’s schedule supports that assertion.
“I’m busy from 6:30 in the morning to 11 or 12 at night,” she said. “I must say I enjoy being busy. If you only have homework, you’re probably done by nine, but I try to keep myself as busy as possible. I’m a member of a conference organization, a group called TERRA, and the Arabian Reading Association. I also take piano lessons and am involved in extracurricular activities — a speech contest and our school yearbook.”
Although several Nobel Laureates chose to respond to Bouhlel’s question, she said she wasn’t satisfied with their answers, which means she likely will be exploring the subject more.
“We all make some change to the world,” she said. “We can control whether it’s negative or positive, so it’s a choice that we make.” After she finishes her studies, Bouhlel plans to return to the Kingdom.
“Saudi Arabia is my home “it’s my country,” she said, “and I will do everything I can to make it a better place for everyone in the future.”
The International Science and Engineering Fair concludes today, when more than $3 million in college scholarships and internships will be awarded.
