Latifa Al-Sayed Al-Hashim: Excellence Born from Challenges
In the final moments, just as the submission window for the Rashid Al-Rashid and Sons Award for Leadership, Talent, and Creativity was about to close, Latifa Abdulrahman Al-Sayed Al-Hashim submitted her application. However, she was overwhelmed with anxiety about the possibility of her application being rejected since she submitted it after the deadline. Moreover, she faced technical difficulties while uploading her file.
Despite these challenges, Latifa did not give up. Hope drove her forward, and ambition painted a picture of a future she passionately aspired to achieve. After much effort, she successfully submitted her application. The challenges, however, didn’t end there. During her interview, one of the panelists began by recounting the struggles she had faced, almost leading to her application being disqualified. Her anxiety deepened. Yet, the panelist continued, emphasizing that the strength and excellence of her application served as her gateway to acceptance despite all the hurdles.
It was at that moment Latifa realized that the path to success is not always smooth but often laden with obstacles. Achieving goals requires determination, patience, and resilience.
Latifa recounts, “I applied for the award during my first year of high school. I was an outstanding student academically, and this distinction continued, thanks to God and the award's support and the skills I gained through it. In 2020, I won the gold award for student excellence at the level of Al-Ahsa and Al-Diriyah in the Rashid Al-Rashid Award for Student Excellence.”
Latifa continues to share how the award has impacted her life:
“The award was a turning point in my life, from the moment of application and the challenges I faced to the judging panel and personal interview that boosted my self-confidence. The award also helped me discover my talents and capabilities.” She further developed her skills through training programs offered by Fab Lab Al-Ahsa before pursuing her academic studies abroad.
Today, Latifa Al-Sayed Al-Hashim is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, majoring in chemical engineering. Her journey of excellence has been marked by numerous accolades, qualifying her to be one of the distinguished students of the Rashid Al-Rashid Award, which the foundation takes pride in.
Her notable achievements include:
- Academic and volunteer excellence
- Winning national medals in chemistry, mathematics, and computing
- Rashid Al-Rashid Award for Outstanding Academic Performance
- Abdulwahab Al-Mousa Award for Excellence
- Silver Medal in the "Mawhoob" Chemistry Competition
- Four Bronze Medals in the Kangaroo Mathematics Competition
- Silver Medal in the Bebras Computing Challenge
- Gold Medal in the Bebras Computing Challenge
About the Award:
The Rashid Al-Rashid and Sons Award for Leadership, Talent, and Creativity is one of the pioneering initiatives by the Abdulmohsen Al-Rashed Humanitarian Foundation. It aims to support academic excellence and develop the personal skills of outstanding students. The award offers scholarships and specialized programs in collaboration with prestigious educational institutions, driven by the belief in building human potential as a cornerstone for national development.
