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Let’s be honest: have you ever heard of an environmental engineer? What is the field about, and what do they actually do? A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer those questions myself. Yet here I am studying Environmental Engineering with growing passion and purpose. How did this happen? Let me take you back to where it began: my senior year of high school.

Arriving in Turkey during that final year was a hectic and challenging experience. The limited number of international schools combined with the fact that most were hesitant to admit a senior made it difficult to find a place. After much effort, I was accepted into a school and was eager to start. On my first day, I was shocked to discover I had only one classmate. For most of that year, our 12th grade consisted of just the two of us and by second semester, a third student joined. As the only girl in the class, I faced my own unique challenges.

Adapting to a new country and unfamiliar education system tested me. I had to quickly adjust and stay focused, especially as I tackled countless exams from SATs and IELTS to general and university-specific YÖS exams. I also took part in every extracurricular activity available, determined to make the most of every opportunity.

When university application season arrived in June, I applied to as many English-medium programs as I could find. A visit to Istanbul during Eid made me realize it wasn’t the right city for me, so I focused my applications on Ankara and a few other universities. At that point, I was set on pursuing an IT-related field — software, computer, or mechanical engineering. But when admission decisions came, I faced rejection after rejection. As the saying goes, it gets worse before it gets better.

Then came an unexpected email: although my preferred programs were full, the university encouraged me to consider other departments within engineering. I listed Petroleum, Environmental, and Geological Engineering in that order still hoping to transfer later to an IT field or pursue a double major, not realizing how challenging that would be.

Fate had other plans. I was accepted into Environmental Engineering, and thus began my university journey. My first semester was a rollercoaster as I struggled with physics, calculus, and adjusting to university life. But everything changed when I took my first environmental courses. Maybe it was because I started with an open mind or maybe it was the clarity and passion with which my lecturer taught but I felt sparks of excitement and curiosity. I realized that through this field, I could help people in practical, meaningful ways even something as basic yet vital as providing clean water.

Though my story may not be unique, it taught me to sometimes step back and trust the path unfolding before me. No matter what we plan, I believe God’s plan is greater. Today, I’m eager to keep growing in this field and use my skills to create positive change. After all, Environmental Engineering chose me and I’m grateful that it did.

Zinah Zayyad Abdussalam