Tamara Barakat '21

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon.

Does Paris feel like home? If so, how did you make it your own? What kind of challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Paris does feel like home now that I’ve been living here for more than a year. It feels like my home. It is a home that I don’t share with my family or Lebanese friends, but it has become a home where I have exposed myself to a new world, new cultures, new friends, new everything. I have lived in the same city my whole life, but this home has challenged me in many ways. I had to swim and try not to sink in this world and keep swimming with my head held up high and try to look at everything in a positive way. Just like any other challenge you decide to face, it is oftentimes hard. But once you get used to it, it’s like living in a movie. No joke.

What course or project was your favorite? Tell us all about it.
My favorite course this year is Research and Development Methods, taught by Maurits Montañez Vaguez. In this class, we learn about design thinking, how to approach everyday problems with a design mindset, and coming up with solutions and creating products that can make our lives easier. It sounds conceptual and seems very broad, but it is a very experimental and theoretical class. We look over methods and techniques, conduct research, and engage with people outside the classroom in order to come up with ideas and articulate design-driven interventions.