By Reem Saad

If you sit with Mohamed Amine Zaky, a 21-year old communications graduate, there is one thing you are bound to hear: his distinct laugh. In fact, most of the NU-Q class of 2014 referred to him as the “funniest senior” in a video screened during this year’s senior dinner.

“First off, he’s probably the funniest guy I’ve ever met. He is family. He’s always been there no matter what. I trust him with my life,” said Dana Atrach, a communications graduate from the class of 2013 and a long-time friend.  “Also, he does the best cartoon-voice impersonations.”

Growing up in Qatar as the only child of a single mother, Zaky learned from a young age that his future, regardless of what he wanted to pursue, would be dedicated to giving back to his mother. To him, family is the single most important aspect of his life.

“Something I never shared with anyone is the huge pressure I feel to perform well in my field and to build a solid future for myself and for my mother,” he said.

“The thought that both of our futures are in my hands scares me. My mother risked and sacrificed everything for me so that she never had the chance or time to think of her own future,” Zaky added. “It’s time to repay her for everything.”

One of Zaky’s major struggles throughout his four years at NU-Q was juggling between his academics and his part-time jobs to help his mother pay off his tuition. His jobs have included working in Northwestern’s IT department, working at student affairs and being a teacher’s assistant for Cinematography and Media Construction.

“I just did the best I could, and it paid off. I’m graduating now so I guess I made it,” he said, laughing.  Zaky is one of the few students from his class to graduate a semester early.

For Zaky, NU-Q was and still remains his second home.

“My four years were never boring. So much has happened that it would literally take me another four years to talk about it,” he said.

“My most memorable moment would be my last semester—fall of 2013. My friends and I seriously moved into the studio building. We had everything we needed: couches for naps, a kitchen for coffee, a parking lot for late night panic attacks and classrooms to study in,” he said, laughing.

While other students are applying for grad school, Zaky currently works at NU-Q in the Community Relations office as an events coordinator. After he pays back his financial aid, Zaky plans to save up for graduate school as he hopes to pursue a major in organizational behavior or communication psychology.

Zaky lives by one motto: Living life to the fullest.

“Living day by day, and enjoying my life as much as I could, regardless of everything, is what got me through, he said. “I am thankful for everything I have experienced so far. It is now time to get serious and build my future.”