My name is Mohamed Amin; I'm a junior studying Political Science and Islamic Studies. My time at IUPUI, up until now, pretty much consisted of remarkably long episodes and moments of identity searching. From the day I started college, I knew I wanted to find out who I was exactly, what I wanted to achieve, and how I can examine myself as a person.
I invested myself in a number of worlds in and around IUPUI. I took risks, I took losses, and many times I won battles. I joined organizations that were not "in my zone" so to speak. I connected with people who I previously did not think I'd even meet. I met the most impressive people on campus, and became good friends with them. I also participated in events that tore up my comfort zone. I did a 10-minute acting scene completely in Arabic at a talent show this spring, and it was entirely improvisational. I didn't think I could do it, but I pushed myself and I did remarkably well (I won third place).
I would look at myself in the mirror and ask the same question over and over again, "Who are you, Mohamed?" I did everything that I could to find that answer by exploring different realms in IUPUI. I still don't have an answer to that question.
This intense journey that I was committed to has led to me shockingly come to the conclusion that I still don't know who I am or how I identify. But IUPUI has shaped the person I am today. It gave me a glimpse of the person I could be, or maybe the person I was from the beginning.
Mohamed Amin
Class of 2020
