AROUND CAMPUS
A D I STI N G U I S H E D SCHOLAR DIPLOMAT
GC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022
A
bir El Hirch is Georgetown College’s first international student to be granted the Distinguished Scholar Award, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship. Abir holds big dreams in her small frame. She can be spotted flashing a friendly smile all over campus as she goes to class and participates in several organizations. Abir comes from the country of Morocco in North Africa. While her dreams aren’t unusual for a young optimist like herself, she has the drive and skills to achieve them.
The 18-year-old freshman, who wants to improve the lives of people around the world, plans to achieve that by studying chemistry and learning how to develop drugs that can relieve people of the effects of diseases such as diabetes and cancer, that 25 have affected her own family, and mental health conditions which she and her age group struggle to conquer. She also has a goal to become a United Nations ambassador, so she plans to take prelaw courses at Georgetown College and study at Oxford University.
Abir spent her entire life in Rabat, the capital of Morocco on the Atlantic coast, in a multigenerational family household that currently numbers 13, from “baby” cousins to her grandparents. Her father is in the Moroccan military and her mother is a chef. Being surrounded by people is part of what she calls the “comfort zone” that is part of her personality. While living in her familiar space she was already working to help others. She was active in an organization which develops confidence and skills in children and teens that they can use to become successful entrepreneurs. Also, Abir participated in Oxfam Morocco, an international nonprofit that educates the public about world hunger and poverty. She was also copresident of a charity called Ben and Silya that collects donations of money, food, and clothing for Moroccan nonprofit organizations that serve the underprivileged. “Helping people and giving little bits of myself makes me happy and keeps me going. I see happiness as a whole and my community right at the center of it.”
