Sahar Laalej

      Hi, my name is Sahar Laalej, and I am a senior double majoring in psychology and francophone studies and will be graduating 2025. My experience at William and Mary has been the most wonderful. I met new people, made new friendships that I believe will last me a lifetime. My time here at William and Mary has allowed me the chance to grow and to learn that I am capable to achieve beautiful things.

   One of the experiences that I will cherish fondly is my summer study abroad with the French department. I left for Montpelier July summer of 2024 with professor Magali Compan. Thanks to her the experience was even more memorable. We got to visits many monuments, try different foods, and travel to different cities and cites. This experience has resulted in making friendships that will always be dear to my heart. For my future plans, I wish to come back to William and Mary to pursue a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling. Becoming a therapist has always been my dream and I believe that will be the first step to take eventually.

   I think that the most important thing that I took from my experience here is to always believe in myself and trust that I will make it. I have faced a couple of challenges along the way; however, they were never a reason for me to not keep going. On the contrary, if anything, they were a motivator for me to give it my all and to know that I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind into. So, thank you William and Mary for challenging me to always give my best and here’s to graduation, a celebration of growth, resilience, and all the memories that got us here.