Miriam Alrahil

Miriam Alrahil, a Florida State University IDEA Grant recipient through the Tyler Center for Global Studies and Middle Eastern Studies Center student, came to FSU to serve her community through the Service Scholars Program.

Alrahil serves as an English tutor for middle and high school students who speak foreign languages. She also serves as a youth mentor for refugees in Tallahassee to assist them in acclimating to their new environment.

During her time at FSU, Alrahil has completed multiple research projects that highlight underrepresented communities and gaps in academic archives. As an Honors in the Major student, she has used her research opportunities to conduct ethnographic and archival research that provides representation for different communities from around the world.

Why did you choose to attend FSU?

FSU stood out as the best-equipped university to help build the future I envisioned for myself. FSU felt like an institution genuinely committed to serving its students, prioritizing their growth and success. The university’s range of programs and extracurriculars within the art, language and communication fields created an avenue to explore my academic and personal passions.  

My acceptance into the Service Scholars program was the deciding factor in my decision to attend FSU. The Service Scholars program’s unique curriculum, tight-knit community and admirable mission set FSU apart. I realized that my time in college would be transformed because of this program, offering a level of growth and mentorship I couldn’t find at any other time or place.  

What academic projects are you most proud of?

The project that most immediately stands out to me is the oral history project I conducted in the Colombian Amazon with the support from the Social Science Scholars Program, the IDEA Grant and Spanish Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Through the mentorship provided by these three programs, I was able to fully formulate my own research project, live independently in the Colombian Amazon for two months and gain invaluable experience in audiovisual storytelling and oral history collection.  

During this project, I worked with Indigenous and non-Indigenous conservationists and local leaders, documenting how they employed Indigenous ancestral practices and knowledge in their climate action and preservation work.  

What was your Honors in the Major thesis about?

I focused on the post-exilic literature of the Lebanese diaspora in Colombia. For this project I read two extensive novels and one poetry anthology from Lebanese-Colombian authors, none of which had an available English translation.  

I dedicated a lot of time, passion and energy into this academic project, and I amassed so many skills in conducting niche research, translating and writing. I also presented my research in Montreal, Canada, at the Committee on Undergraduate Middle East Studies Undergraduate Workshop as part of the Middle Eastern Studies Association’s yearly conference in November 2023.  

How have you served in the FSU and Tallahassee community?

Since my first semester, the Service Scholars program allowed me to be thoroughly involved in leadership and community service at FSU. I initially began working as an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) tutor with Darasa, a registered student organization at FSU. I went to local middle and high schools and worked as a teacher aide in ESOL classes.  

I also worked as a youth mentor with the International Rescue Committee. Here, I mentored refugee youth in Tallahassee, helping with their acclimation to the U.S. and English language learning.  

I also served the community through my academic work, particularly through my Indigenous studies internship with the FSU Spanish Program. I am working with the FSU Special Collections & Archives to establish an Indigenous oral archive to localize information in an accessible way for students. I hope to use this experience to mentor students and empower them to do the same. 

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