how it all started
“I was suffocating in that classroom, i needed fresh air,
and so I left Calculus class in search of that. Scrolling through my phone I had just gotten the email: “Last Day for Student Council Applications”… not thinking too much about it, I screenshotted the email, sent it to the groupchat, captioned it “should we run next year?”, and continued my stroll through the hallways.
“Perfect! I’m sure you know someone who’s interested in running for council? Our team’s missing two members and the deadline’s tonight!”
I had bumped into Farah right after sending that text, coincidence or destiny? Still, I knew there was no way any of my friends or I would run this year, especially since we each had no less than 19 credit hours that semester. “Yes, I’m interested actually and so is one of my friends.” The words I let out had not yet registered in my mind. What had I done? When was I ever going to learn to say no?
Before I knew it, I was speaking to an average of 70 people per day.
My friends had taken the step with me, and now five of us had joined the BAADR Student Council Team; slowly getting to know our other teammates. We were campaigning between classes, during breaks, and sometimes even during classes. Our university experience had just gotten more interesting.
The competition was intense.
At the beginning my friends and I didn’t mind losing - especially since we looked at the whole thing from sheer curiosity and craving a new experience - but now, as time went by, and as we worked with our team more by the day, we grew attached to the idea. The idea of continuing to work with this great team - a team made up of girls who would never have met if not for the council, and if not for my encounter with Farah in the hallway that day.
The only thing that brought us together might be coming to an end - and that was what scared me the most.
We waited. The votes were being counted. Extra campaigning would do us no good now, so we all just sat together in silence.
An endless tunnel of silence was what that car ride home was. Yet, what broke that silence was a turning point for us all; Deena began, “We make too great a team to let this fade to nothing. How about starting a club?”
After sorting through the plans we had prepared, we figured an Entrepreneurship Club would fit our ideas best. We called the rest of our teammates, Reem had suggested a name, and Rwad had formed.
a success born of a failure
The emails were sent - we had lost. Goodbyes were exchanged, some tears were shed and everyone was on their way home.
FOUNDING TEAM
(FEMALE DIVISION)
(MALE DIVISION)
Page By - Nourah Altamimi
Co-Founder of Rwad Entrepreneurship Club