Cramped at the Cairo outlet mall, almost unable to breathe in the stuffy air and trying to find her friends over the crowd of people, freshman Alia Hammad recalls life as she knew it before coming to America....
![In Fashion Merchandising on Tuesday, students worked on designing unique dresses for Barbie. After taking the Fashion and Apparel class, junior Alia Hammad found herself deeply interested in learning more about fashion and wanted to continue expanding her knowledge and practice. “It is a huge hobby for me,” Hammad said. “I designed this dress in pink because it was for a Barbie, and Barbie’s are always pink for me. [I wanted to make] a fancy design, so I added a bit of sparkle and made it off the shoulder.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DSC_0037-copy-900x600.jpg)
![On a trip to Hurghada, Egypt, freshman Alia Hammad and her cousin Omar parachute over the Red Sea. This adventure took place in July 2019, about four months before her big move. "I loved it. I saw the purple jellyfish and coral [because] the water was so clear.” Hammad said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/0d50a0dd-8e38-4519-9487-177a89958a4e-900x601.jpeg)