As George zooms into today's episode in the Common Room, he begins by unpacking why he describes himself as a “grateful non-conformist realist” and shares his story of moving to the U.S. from Syria to attend college in Illinois (1:52). Next, George discusses how his experience in the U.S  as an immigrant proved to be everything he dreamed of and how he balances gratitude and non-conformity (9:25). George then shares how he decided to major in business, began his career in consulting, and started his non-profit, Syrian Youth Empowerment, while navigating the tension between his Syrian identity and his desire to make a difference globally (20:15). Finally, George ends on a fun note as he reflects on how he bonded with his cohort throughout the pandemic “SchwarzHouses” in the U.S. (North Carolina and Arizona), Thailand, Croatia, and Italy (37:29).

Org(s) mentioned:

• Syrian Youth Empowerment: https://www.sye-initiative.org/ 

Song recommendation(s):

• Chafouni Zawali (Balti ft Akram Mag) 
• Ya Habibi (Gims, Mohamed Ramadan)