I grew up in Jenin and Ramallah, my family is originally from a small village near Jenin called Faqua, I spent my summers hanging out with my cousins in the fields of this beautiful village, where our family would gather in the evening to enjoy the Barbary fig (Faqua's special fruit). My childhood was filled with starry nights, so I grew up looking up, and I used to watch the stars and spin around until it seemed like they were spinning with me. I was a curious child, and I have always had many questions about the universe and what is up there. I read ''A Brief History of Time'' by Professor Hawking when I was a teenager, and that was the moment for me where I realised what I want to do with my life, I wanted to build a machine that can help us unravel the mysteries of the universe. I did my bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering at Birzeit University, and soon after I have received Chevening Scholarship to pursue my Masters's in Advanced Mechanical Engineering at Queen Mary University of London, where I have managed to design and analyse what hopefully will be the first Palestinian CubeSat, and named it PALESTINE_1.

Recently, I was accepted in Imperial College London, to pursue my PhD in Mechanical Engineering, where I will be able to continue working on PALESTINE_1. I recently launched a crowdfunding campaign, to raise the fund needed for the PhD program and the Project. We managed to cover the tuition fees for the first year, and we are working on raising the rest. The 2048 fellowship will enable me to start my research at Imperial while managing the crowdfunding campaign without worrying about life essentials. It will also give me access to a great network, where I will be able to pitch my project and have the needed reach for it.

Space is the future, and we (Palestinians) need to take a part in this future! Cubesats are small satellites that have different space missions, one of which is studying the earth. The sustainable launching of CubeSats can help us in designing scientific-based solutions for Earth's issues. The mean region, for example, is suffering from unplanned urban growth and water sources desertification. The data gathered by Palestine_1 can help us understand the area better, and develop scientifically based solutions for them. Putting Palestine in Space will enable Palestinians to join the space race and take a part in this futuristic industry.

My advice for young people who are just getting started in their career fields is ' don't limit yourself with the common construct of others'. I was one of four females in the mechanical engineering department at Birzeit University, and when I started my interest in space, I was laughed at. When I told my colleagues about my idea of a Palestinian satellite, people used to sarcastically reply: "Do we have a Palestinian space agency? To take you to the moon?". Today I see positive change in the viewpoints of many around me, with many now accepting the idea that a woman can work in mechanical and space engineering, change in any field begins with an idea people find strange, but once it has happened once, they quickly accept it and come to believe in it.