Marianne Hakim

Physical disability can complicate one’s life, particularly in our universities today. But no matter how hard it is for people with disabilities to access and navigate through some buildings, the support of the staff, teachers, and students can help facilitate both education and mobility on campus.

In this regard, NDU has offered me the support needed throughout my studies, which allowed me to graduate with a BA in Advertising & Marketing and an MA in Media Studies-Advertising. I will be eternally grateful for NDU since my Master’s thesis, which is the backbone of the  Friedreich Ataxia Lebanese Association (FALA),— an NGO I am in the process of establishing— gave me the opportunity to meet and connect with people, who are affected, like me, by a degenerative neuromuscular disease called Friedreich ataxia (FA).

It is time to change perspectives and adopt the principle of inclusive education for students with disabilities, and most importantly be charitable and compassionate toward any perspective from which we can gain insight and wisdom in our efforts at making a positive difference in the lives of others.
I can’t wait to introduce you to FALA, and I look forward to making a difference in the lives of people affected with Friedreich ataxia.

NDU you have already changed my life. Now let’s pay it forward all together!