Rima Sanaallah from Brookfield High School in Ottawa Canada shares her thoughts on representing Lebanon on her adventure with the FindingLife team this spring.

Her bio:

Rima Sanaallah is not afraid to “go against the grain!” She spent time in pre-school in Lebanon, and then came to Canada in 1999. Through elementary school, Rima was bullied constantly, so when she came to Brookfield High School, she decided she would do whatever it took to fit in. In grades 9 & 10 Rima did what her friends wanted her to do. If it meant skipping classes, then she did as well. She would do whatever was needed to be with the “in” crowd. In the summer of 2010, she saved up her own money to travel to Lebanon to visit family. It was there that she saw how hard people worked, yet struggled to meet day-to-day needs. She very quickly realized how lucky she was to have the opportunity to get an education. She decided there and then to come home and stop being somebody that she wasn’t.

This year she has focused on her school, lost a few friends along the way, but has made other friends, turned her marks into 90’s and has become one of the leaders at Brookfield. As her Biology teacher, Ms. Sen stated, “Rima has a contagious passion for learning and is willing to do what it takes to achieve and reach her true potential.”

Rima’s hobbies include: reading about sciences, running, playing volleyball, and boxing. She is planning on attending Ottawa University in 2012 in hopes of becoming a doctor in the future. She based her decision about her career choice on subject preferences and personality. She is very good with people, and very understanding person.

Rima has also been a musician for several years. She plays a variety of instruments including piano, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, percussion, French horn, tuba, baritone, tenor horns, and many more. Her preferred instrument is the piano.
Rima has also done lots of volunteering in the community like being the water girl for a senior football team, helping out at the st. pats retirement home, Salvation Army, Charles H. Hulse Saturday school, and more. She is currently working on volunteering with Cheo again.