Year: 3rd Junior
Major: Political Science
In the past year Egypt has seen tremendous turmoil and tragedy take over. For those of us living over seas, the suffering, chaos, and political cries are only an image on the screen or a news report on the radio, but not for Chantal Boctor.
Earlier this year our very own collegiette Chantal Boctor revisited her home in Cairo, Egypt to tell us the story of going to school abroad and coming home to a new place.
Chantal Boctor grew up in the heart of Cairo before moving to Davis for college.
Cairo is the place she describes as the perfect combination of a 21st century modern capital with the stereotypical traffic jams pollution, overpopulation and growing industries. Its easy to picture Cairo as downtown New York or even our closest city of Sacramento, but despite the evolution of the city Cairo embodies an extreme amount of Egyptian culture and traditions, mainly reflected through its people, culinary art and fashion.
Being away from home during the turmoil has been a challenge for Boctor, but one that she has faced with new opportunities to educate her peers about. Back in January after winter break Boctor wrote a feature article on what it was like to come back to Cairo after fall quarter in Davis.
Due to limited technology and telecommunication the contact for those overseas is limited but even through the disconnect she finds optimism in every way possible keeping ties as close as possible.
Chantal teaches us collegeittes™ a vital lesson. Cherish your family and always keep the ties close. Through all this she has learned, even more so than before the importance of family and has strengthened her connections with family and friends.
The experience to be away from home has also influenced her political views and stance.
The political events that are taking place in Egypt have only increased Chantal’s thirst for knowledge about politics. As a political science major being in the sunshine of California has only increased her knowledge For her California has enforced a new type of foreign ideologies, cultures and demographics. The eye opening experience of living and studying in a town such as Davis has been both empowering and challenging. The new parallels between California’s culture and Egypt’s culture have helped to enrich her experience as well as embrace her culture back home
Currently Chantal is a member of Alpha Phi sorority and the Vice president of Marketing. Along with her activity in the Greek life Chantal is working with a professor on campus on political research and has recently approved her thesis for the upcoming year. Her future plans are LSAT exams and a masters in political science simultaneously.
Boctor’s advice for young collegiettes™ who have family living overseas is to take advantages of the fortunate opportunities that you are provided with that very few people are able to experience. Strive to acquire a thirst for knowledge and learn as much as you can with the limited time you are given. But must importantly stay true to yourself and never forget where you are from.
To read Boctor’s article visit her article here