I’m 22 years old. I’m a French and English translator, a tour guide, and a teacher of Arabic as a foreign language. In junior high school, I didn’t speak any English. I hated it and the teacher. I would get sent to the back of the class for fighting with her and having side conversations all the time. But in 2010, I had the chance to go to Greece with my theater group. I was feeling down because I only spoke Arabic. I wanted to speak English so badly. There were groups from all over Europe, and I was jealous of the students who could talk to one another. When I came back, I spent a lot of time working on my English and with native speakers at the places where I volunteered. I traveled to the U.S. two years later, and I was so happy I could speak. After, I was keen on learning so much more. I majored in English and minored in French. Then, I took German and Hebrew courses. I feel like languages open horizons that you never even thought of and can be journeys of self-discovery. I learned about what music I like from French, while English opened many work and travel opportunities. They change the way you think too, you know. Now I’ve decided to come back to German, and I want to learn Spanish as well.

- Shereen Idais