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Name: Zainab
Three words to describe yourself: thoughtful, approachable, romantic
Zainab was born in Maryland and lived in both Silver Spring and Columbia. For the first three years of her life, however, Zainab lived in Sierra Leone with her grandparents while her mom was studying nursing in America. Because of the war that erupted in Sierra Leone and because Zainab was a U.S. citizen, she moved back to the States. During her junior year of high school, she moved to Peachtree City, Georgia. "I had so many preconceived notions about the South . . . When I got to the South, I realized the stereotypes from the North are not true...I love being in Georgia, well at least the urban areas," she says. Both her mom and dad are from Sierra Leone and they moved to the States for education and "a better life for their family." Zainab says that she is closer to her step-family who are all French and she also speaks French. When she was younger, Zainab went to France for vacation and says, "I fell in love with the culture, the people, the language." What she loves most about French culture are their "values and lifestyle." Zainab says that everyone has a two hour lunch break because the French value being with the people you love. This is her 7th year of learning French and at UGA, Zainab is studying French and is Pre-Nursing. Her dream is to become an English teacher in France, but nursing is the backup. I asked Zainab why she did not want to become a doctor and she said, "Doctors have to make executive decisions about life and death . . . I'd be the more empathetic one." She also says, "When people are at their most vulnerable, that's when they need the most support . . . Nurses have the natural desire to help people and make life easier . . . plus you're guaranteed a job." Zainab also loves taking pictures. She says, "I have a terrible memory . . . I love having something to go back to . . . I love how pictures capture a moment forever." Along with taking pictures, Zainab loves Megan Fox, France, and teal and talks about these three things on a daily basis. Zainab also says, "I have an awesome boyfriend . . . and he's a really awesome partner in my life . . . he adds to my romanticism." When Zainab was little, her aunts and uncles used to tease her because she was always the one who "had an idea" about what to do next. "I'm a really big existentialist . . . I get really angsty when I feel that I'm not on a path of happiness . . .the one goal in life is to be happy . . . you're supposed to follow your bliss or whatever makes you happy," she says. Here is her Facebook site where you can see some of her pictures: http://www.facebook.com/photosbyzai