Meet the Team

The NSP team is comprised of peer advisers, media specialists, and WOW leaders. Led by two co-chairs, the objectives of NSP are to:

• Welcome new students to NU-Q
• Establish connections both within the incoming class and with their peers
• Make incoming students aware of the resources available to them, including but not limited to, (1) academic resources, (2) opportunities for student involvement, and (3) opportunities to establish a relationship between the NU-Q and Education City-wide communities
• Empower incoming students to make responsible decisions as NU-Q community members
• Foster pride and enthusiasm in the Northwestern community

As an incoming first-year or transfer student, you will be assigned to a peer advising group (also known as prides) facilitated by a Peer Adviser for the duration of Wildcat Welcome Week and your first year

The NSP team:

	Nicholas Wong – Orientation Co-Chair Nick Wong is 30 years old. That sounds like a joke, but it is not. You probably expect him to tell you something sage and wise, such as, “I am 30 at heart”, but the reality is, he is 30 in actual living human years. Someday he will tell you his amazing life story where he sat at home playing video games and eating potato chips like a hero, but that is a story for another day. The thing you need to know about Nick is that he is a rising junior (or senior, depending at how you look at his credits) in the journalism program. He is an editor for Georgetown’s business magazine called ‘Enterprise’ and an entertainment contributor for the Q Room video channel. Additionally, if you have something interesting to talk about, feel free to come on his daily radio show on QF Radio as an interviewee (that was a shameless plug and he apologizes for it). Suffice it to say that Nick enjoys his time and involvement in both Northwestern and Education City and warmly welcomes you to what may be the most interesting years of your life here… but that really depends on how you spend your time (hopefully not so much on the potato chips side). “That which does not kill you makes you stronger… However, the thing they don’t tell you is that it almost killed you. You almost died.”
	Urooj Kamran Azmi – Orientation Co-Chair Urooj is a junior in NU-Q's communication program. Born and raised in Islamabad, Pakistan, she came to NU-Q in 2013 to explore her love for filmmaking. She is passionate about debating, which is why she founded NU-Q's Debate Club, the Wildebaters, in fall 2014. She has also served as a teaching assistant for the Research Methods class, and presented a research paper at the University of Oxford on the internal fan base available for the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. She has served as the Vice President of NAFC (Not Another Film Club), NU-Q’s film society, and as Assistant Video Editor for The Daily Q. Urooj loves community engagement, interpretive dancing, and conspiracy theories. In 2014, she spent two and half months in Chicago working with an organization called Facets during the Engage Chicago Program, where she was involved with analyzing films and documentaries for the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. She is also the producer of a documentary, Of The Rulers, which was recently acquired by Al Jazeera’s Witness Program. Urooj is currently in Evanston on the NU-Q Comm Exchange program.  “Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.”
Coming soon!	Rumana Shaikh – Peer Adviser Rising senior and first-time NSP-er, Rumana joined NU-Q in 2013 to quench her un-ending curiosity, love of writing and all things creative. Born and raised in Qatar, she originally belongs to Mumbai, India and proudly so. Having been raised far from home makes her no less of a desi. She has an immense love for food that is extra spicy as well as dramatic TV shows and movies that are similarly so. A few other things she enjoys include intelligent humor, not-so-intelligent humor, cats, makeup tutorials, and fitness. Rumana is a student ambassador for NU-Q, has served as a staff reporter for the Daily Q and has spent nearly two years working at Student Affairs in NU-Q. She was a student leader in NU-Q’s 2015 high school summer program and an orientation leader for HBKU Orientation 2015. She recently participated in Outward Bound Oman, a 4-day hiking experience that was truly, truly life-changing. With only amateur experience in documentary-making, she hopes to one day work on a documentary for VICE, where she is currently spending 10 weeks doing her journalism residency (it is beyond exciting!). She hopes to make a long career out of digging out interesting facts, observing people and places, and writing about all types of fascinating cultures. “Curiosity is not a sin… But we should exercise caution with our curiosity… Yes, indeed.”
	Amina Niksic – Peer Adviser This is a story about Amina Niksic- a small girl with a big dream of becoming a filmmaker. When Amina was a little girl, her grandma used to take care of her. They lived in the suburbs of Sarajevo, which was a really nice environment for Amina to grow up in, and just to be carefree. Amina loved to play with her friends, and her favorite game was pretending as if they were on a film set. All of her friends wanted to be actors and actresses, and she was the only one who wanted to sit behind their 'camera,' which was a big brown cartoon box at the time. Many years passed, Amina grew up, but her dream to become a filmmaker never changed. So here she is, an international student from Bosnia studying communication at Northwestern University in Qatar, and is now a rising sophomore. As a Peer Advisor, she hopes that she can help the Class of 2020 get to know Northwestern in all of its beauty. “Those who follow their dreams, never lose their way.”
	Asmaa Benkermi – Peer Adviser Asmaa is new to New Student Programs, and is excited to serve as a peer adviser for the Class of 2020. After twenty years of existence, she is still not exactly sure why she chose to major in communication, however, as a rising sophomore, she thinks she still has time to figure that out (hint: fingers crossed). She was born and raised in France but has Algerian blood, which makes her a very loud, energetic, and proud human being. She loves food, languages, and traveling, and she collects keychains from all over the world (now you know what to get her as a gift). She also hates mushrooms. If you want to get on her bad side, just fold a paper in her notebook or touch her laptop screen with your hand (second hint: don’t). Other than that, she’s a very accepting person and can’t wait to meet the Class of 2020! “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”
	Erzum Naqvi – Peer Adviser Erzum Naqvi is pursuing a relatively new found love of filmmaking at Northwestern University in Qatar, and praying feverishly for a way to explain his "communication" degree to future employers. As a member of the Class of 2019, he realizes that he too is new to most of this, and looks forward to sharing his experiences with the next incoming class. Erzum's interests include story telling/reading/writing, gaming, daydreaming, and eating. His most consistent and pressing goal each day is to find a way to make up his sleep deficit. Erzum is also oddly excited about the number 2020 and extends that excitement to the future Class of 2020. “Wit without measure is man’s greatest treasure.”
	Hassan Al-Jahni – Peer Adviser A newcomer to the NSP team, Hassan AlMalki Al-Jahni is thrilled to be a peer adviser. While currently a rising sophomore still completing his first year at NU-Q, Hassan is very familiar with Education City, having graduated from Qatar Academy in 2015. Football is Hassan's main interest and he can sometimes get a bit defensive about Real Madrid. Majoring in communication, he would like to one day work as a producer at beIN Sports. He is very much looking forward to meeting all the 2020'ers and hopes that you each have a restful summer prior to what is guaranteed to be an eventful, fun-filled, orientation! “Beyoncé is bae. Beyoncé is everything.”
	Jawaher AlMoawda – Peer Adviser Jawaher is a rising sophomore majoring in communication, and a new addition to the NSP team. She is a Bahraini/Qatari hybrid and loves to travel and meet new people. Other than being extremely thrilled to be a peer adviser, she is also looking forward to making the Class of 2020 feel at home in NU-Q! Her passions include filmmaking, her cat Tuna, books, and Starbucks (If you see her one morning without her cup of coffee, then something is seriously wrong!). Outspoken feminist and sushi enthusiast are just two of the many things that describe her and she is the best person to go to if you need advice, someone to rant to, or even a shoulder to cry on. She has worked on several Studio 20Q and FilmHouse productions and got the chance to present an environmental project in Washington, D.C. She hopes to one day work with her favorite director and the love of her life, Quentin Tarantino. "I love cats and coffee more than I do people."
	Lolwa Al-Thani – Peer Adviser Lolwa (Lulu) is a rising journalism sophomore who loves to read, travel, and cook. Lolwa is a Qatar Academy alum. This is Lolwa’s first time on Team NSP and she joined because she loved her orientation so much, she wanted to come back as a peer adviser! Lolwa has two cats named Nugget and Pickles, who she is completely obsessed with and will talk to you about for hours on end. Lolwa is passionate about the vegan lifestyle and considers herself a transitioning vegan. She is super excited to welcome the incoming class of wildcats to NU-Q and make them feel right at home! “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.”
	Menna Azzam – Peer Adviser Menna is the unofficial hijabi sass queen of 2019. She is lighthearted, positive and outgoing (no really, she makes friends with babies in public). She enjoys having mini concerts in the car with her best friends, taking strategic naps, traveling, and going out to meet new people. Even though she is super nice, please do not take that for granted and get on her bad side (for example: don’t push the elevator button more than once or crack your knuckles next to her). She is excited to be part of the 2016 NSP team and cannot wait to meet the Class of 2020 during orientation week! "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, and don't put up with people that are reckless with yours.”
	Nada Bedair – Peer Adviser Nada is a Class of 2019 communication student. She is Egyptian (but also 1/6th Turkish!), speaks four languages, is prone to paper cuts, and is a proud caffeine addict. In her free time, Nada enjoys singing, painting, and baking (she makes some of the best cupcakes in the world so make sure you try them sometime!). She also loves dancing (although admittedly, she is not a very good dancer), but that does not stop her from embarrassing herself in a crowd. Nada is also a TV enthusiast. If you do not wish to hear spoilers, do not contact her until you have seen the latest episode of your favorite shows (you have been warned!). Her personal favorite show is Suits. “College days are the young and the brightest. Of course, not every day is gonna be the brightest. But, you might as well enjoy it while you can, 'cause you only live once big man.”
	Abdulla Al-Hor – Media Specialist Abdulla is a rising sophomore in the communication program. He is extremely friendly and will be more than happy to welcome you and your questions as he has been regularly participating in admission events and fairs, both as a prospective student himself, and throughout his freshman year. Note: if you wear different colored socks then Abdulla is already your friend!  "I'm the best, or at least I'm trying."
	Awad Al-Radi – Media Specialist Born and raised in Qatar, Awad Al-Radi is a rising Journalism junior. Awad is interested in almost all kinds of sports, mainly football and tennis. His passion towards sports led him to choose journalism as a potential career. The day Barcelona loses a game is the day when Awad is most depressed and angry. He enjoys discussing and analyzing sports and hanging out with friends. In the future, he hopes to be a sports journalist working at beIN sports as a broadcast journalist. Awad is also very interested in leadership development and filmmaking. "The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes."
	Maha AlMarzoqi – Media Specialist Maha is a rising senior in the communication program. Purple is her favorite color! She bleeds purple! She is also so excited to be a media specialist for the first time! She is addicted to TV shows and movies, especially Netflix shows. She is passionate about traveling. Her dream is to go on a photography trip around the world and visit 50 countries (don’t ask why 50 countries!). She has served as a photographer at many events, covering those such as NU-Q’s Qatar National Day Celebration. Maha enjoys helping out anyone in need of help in university. Collecting pins is one of her weird hobbies. She has also worked as a graphic designer for various Studio20Q films. Maha loves coffee more than anything else in the world, and her favorite phrase is “life starts after coffee.” She is very optimistic, and dislikes negative attitudes. In the future, she wants to work in public relations or marketing in a multinational company, such as Shell. “Make today ridiculously amazing.”
	Xiran Liu – Media Specialist Xiran has a crazy inner self known as CAL - Crazy Arms and Legs. Meet her and you’ll understand. Apart from this, Xiran is a rising junior majoring in journalism. Born and raised in Beijing, China, Xiran came to Qatar to pursue higher education as an international student. As a journalism student, Xiran has been intensively involved in film production and graphic design. She actually planned to major in studio art and minor in math, but chose journalism last minute, and has not looked back since. Xiran works as the communication assistant in NU-Q's Student Affairs department, and is also the media coordinator for NUQSU and the Qatar Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.   “Anything but ordinary.”
	Omar Al-Ansari – WOW (Week of Welcome) Leader Omar is thrilled to once again be returning to NSP for a third time. He is a rising communication junior/senior (ask about it and he’ll tell you his sordid tale), and a proud Qatar Academy and Academic Bridge Program alum. He is both the goalkeeper and president of the NU-Q men’s football team and also serves as an NU-Q Student Ambassador. He is half-Bahraini and half-Qatari and loves football more than anything, especially Inter Milan. He also really loves composing profound captions to Instagram photos and eating decadent desserts. “Hello, it’s me.”
	Alessandra El Chanti – WOW (Week of Welcome) Leader Alessandra (NOT AleXandra!) is a rising sophomore majoring in communication, Class of 2019. She survived/graduated from the International School of Choueifat (ISC) in 2015 and aspires to be a filmmaker one day. This is her first time on the NSP team and she is extremely thrilled to be a WOW leader! She is an organizational freak and loves event planning; fancy events are her jam. She has crewed on different film sets of 20Q productions and was the director for ISC Doha's 2015 senior video. Fashion is also something she is interested in and hopes to one day combine her passions for media and fashion into a future career. Maybe become the editor-in-chief of the as of yet nonexistent Vogue Middle East? You never know, you never know. Her favorite foods are sushi and pasta and her favorite place in the whole wide world is Paris.  “Work hard until you become the was6a is the motto!”
	Abdulla Kamal – WOW (Week of Welcome) Leader Abdulla Kamal is a rising sophomore, studying mass communication. Abdulla loves everyone and has a big heart, however, Abdulla can be harmful when he is hungry. HANGER IS REAL. When he isn't glued to his computer playing games, he spends time at the gym. He is the type of person to snap his fingers and suddenly feel incredibly motivated to achieve change, claiming that he will learn a new language, read a new book, or go to the gym on a daily basis, effectively taking action to change some of the bad habits in his life. Sadly, that motivational dose seems to only last for a day or two, and in a nutshell, that is Abdulla for you. But he’s nice, and incredibly excited to welcome you all to NU-Q! “The best gift in life is a friend and I think you already gave me that gift.”
	Katie Hyon – New Student Programs and First-Year Experience Orientation is one of Katie’s great joys in life. We’re camp people. If you don’t know what that means, you’ll understand it eventually. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Katie moved to Qatar in August 2013. After completing her bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University with a Journalism & Media Studies and Psychology double major, she lived in New York City working at a health nonprofit before heading to the University of Michigan to complete her master’s degree in Higher Education. Katie loves travel, photography, puns, and is an Instagram devotee. Broadway musicals and collegiate a cappella were her first true musical loves. She has a ridiculously loud laugh and likes talk-singing and speaking in accents. You are welcome to join her in any of these endeavors. She is excited about welcoming NU-Q’s Class of 2020 (HOW do we already have a Class of 2020?!) along with new transfer and exchange students. Look out for her emails. You are bound to receive a number of them. “The transformational power of an involved collegiate experience remains at its core, indisputable. It can provide an intellectual and cultural coming of age, a type of holistic education that might occur on the fringes of a formal degree but that is invaluable in shaping the mind, soul, and character of a student. In short, GET INVOLVED. You won’t regret it.”