Student Profile: Louna Temsah

Thu, 11 May 2023 15:55:51 -0400
mcsstudent

By: Sophia Blackwell

Photo Credit: Louna Temsah edited by Sophia Blackwell

Being from Lebanon, what has the MCS degree taught you in terms of international relations and has it changed your perspective ?

“Oohh, good question! Being Middle Eastern with this major has been beneficial for me because I contributed a lot by sharing my past experiences that resonated with the topics being taught and shared ideas as I believe I have come across a lot in my life so far from living in so many different places. Especially in MCS 334, learning about globalization has helped me view my culture and other cultures in a more objective way. In that class, I felt like I gave a lot of input because of my background knowledge and living the experience. As media and communications is such a broad major, and there is so much you can do with it, I feel like wherever I end up for my career it will be extremely useful and I hope to use my MCS skills to continue growing in my field.”

What are your career passions and how do you plan to utilize your skills from MCS to fit those passions?

I’m currently taking MCS 388, a public relations class and this has made me want to focus more on PR. The skills that this class has taught me so far such as writing news releases and branding for companies are topics that I feel would be very useful when starting my career. I would love to work in a humanitarian agency like Professor Eagle. His guest speakers that work in that sector have inspired me a lot.

In terms of nationality, how do you feel about the current representation of Lebanon in the mass media?

“To be honest, the way Lebanon is represented in the media really upsets me. It’s been portrayed as unsafe which is truly not the case, I feel safer there if anything. Lebanon is a very westernized country with so much life in it, and I always look forward to going back and visiting my family friends. In fact I’m planning on moving back there after graduation. Media sources need to focus more on the artistic scene in Beirut and how different ethnicities are reflected in the city's architecture and food. It is such a diverse country and we never let politics or religion divide our people.”

As you get ready to graduate, do you have any advice for current students from different countries?

“I’m so anxious to graduate already. I came into college not knowing what I wanted to do and what career path to take. I would advise anyone going into college and feeling conflicted to not be so hard on themselves. After all, we are still young and I always tell myself that what’s meant to be for me will come for me. We have a whole life ahead of us. When it comes to international students I would tell them to never change who they are to fit in or feel ashamed of their cultures. UMBC is so diverse and I have found many friends who share a similar culture to mine and it has brought us closer. It’s always comforting to have a piece of home within yourself and always take pride in it.”