Her dream of coming to America brought an urgency to the simplest tasks.

She had to make it come true. Every class she attended, every final she prepared for, every good grade she made was in hopes to achieve her main goal. Her entire life revolved around this: Wadha Alarear would work as hard she could to make this dream of seeing American culture firsthand come to pass.

Alarear was born in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. She grew up in a culture that belittled her gender. Because she is a woman, she must rely on males to make her dreams come true. Her desire to break free from cultural norms drove her to be successful. Yet even with this cultural truth in the back of her mind, no one could stop her.

American culture surrounded her childhood and teenage years. Her father and brothers both studied in the Unites States, which opened her mind to possibilities of freedom outside of her homeland. It made her desire to see the country much more enticing. America is the exact opposite of everything she knew of life in Saudi Arabia. …show more content…
She wondered how it felt to wake up just in time for class and drive herself to campus without waiting for her brother or father to pick her up. She imagined quick trips to the grocery store without the need for an escort because she was a woman in Saudi Arabia. She dreamed of being judged by her character and not by her gender. Not only was she willing to learn about a culture so different from hers, she was eager