Sama Wareh

Last week, I had the pleasure of introducing the wonderful Sama Wareh to the Poly community.
Sama is an incredible person. She is creative, passionate, and fearless. She loves animals and nature (themes that were reinforced by her trips to Syria growing up), and she used that passion to find her path in life. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Environmental Studies from California State University Fullerton (CSUF); instead of writing her thesis on the Syrian water crisis, she was the first ever at CSUF to make a film as her thesis (she was a film major at her undergraduate college). She worked for Environmental Nature Center in Newport beach, where she was in charge of all of the development and coordination the program provides.

But Sama is more that a Masters of Science degree or an environmentalist -- she is a trailblazer. After hearing stories of humanitarian aid not reaching Syrian refugees, she decided to take action and travel to the Lebanese border to Syria with two bags of medicine and $10,000 in cash to help Syrian refugees in any way she could. Months later, she returned to Syria, this time to open at art therapy program at a school there. She worked with young Syrian refugees for two weeks, teaching them art and how to express themselves. The results were astounding -- in just two weeks, the kids went from drawing bloody pictures of the decapitations in Syria to beautiful pictures of the future of one, united Syria. 

Sama had many life lessons to share, but the one that stuck with me the most was this: "you have to start somewhere." I think this really rings true for me. Sometimes, I feel like I want to make a change or support a cause, but I have no idea where to start. It's too overwhelming -- there are so many things I think I can't do alone or at all, but I really want to help! Sama taught me that, it doesn't really matter WHERE you start as long as you just START. She taught me to be impulsive, embrace uncertainty, and follow wherever my passion takes me.
I am so honored I had the opportunity to introduce such an amazing person to the Poly community, and Sama's powerful words will ring in my ears for a long time to come. Thank you for everything, Sama!