Art!

Published:


Nosimat Salami

<i>Pronouns:</i> She/her/hers <i>Home Institution:</i> Gettysburg College <i>Expected Graduation:</i> 2024 <i>Major / Minor:</i> Health Science and Public Policy / Educational Studies <i>Study Abroad Location:</i> Cairo, Egypt <i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> As-salamu alaykum <i>Program Provider:</i> The American University in Cairo <i>Identity:</i> African American/Black, First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals:</i> My ultimate career goal is to start a nonprofit organization whose primary aim is to enhance access to and awareness of wellness options available to Latinx and African populations worldwide. Areas I want to concentrate on are preventive healthcare and education, which includes having access to better food options and health education. Lastly, an essential component of my organization would be to change or create new health policies that would allow underdeveloped communities access to housing, education, and employment. <i>Top 3 Goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. My first goal is to be more open-minded; this includes trying local food, being proficient in Arabic and engaging with the community. 2. My second goal is to go to the Bayn al-Qasrayn, this is one of many monumental buildings I want to go to. But I am really excited to see and learn about the history of Egyptian architecture. 3. Lastly, my third goal is to find research opportunities within the Global Public Health programs offered at AUC

Art has always been a way to express how I am feeling. Of recently, I went to Samir and Aly which is an art shop near campus and bought acrylic paint, a notepad and drawing pencils. I had no idea what kind of art I would create, where to start and truthfully how to draw.

Not to long ago, I went to an aquarium really close by to the Nile River and I came across a bridge and I immediately got inspired by what I saw. I would be at this spot for hours trying to figure out how I want the trees to look like. And I remember, being halfway through the painting and a little girl and her mother walked by and stood there looking at the garden for some time. I felt this added an amazing addition to my painting. Overall, I think the final painting came out really nice, and since then I have been trying to draw more and find ways to be creative.