Wan Nurul Naszeerah bt. Mohammed Zainal Abidin Ariff is a third-year undergraduate student attending University of California, Davis under the Ministry of Defence’s Royal Brunei Armed Forces Scholarship since 2009. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology. Currently, Wan Nurul Naszeerah is spending her Spring Quarter in the capital city of the United States, Washington, D.C. while working as an intern at World Wildlife Fund - United States
(WWF-US) and studying at the University of California Washington Center.
Read on as she tells a story about her insights and experiences thus far.
April 2012, WASHINGTON, D.C., USA - As I ran my fingers through every reachable shade of pink on the Prunus serrulata, I involuntarily smiled to the inflorescence as if it was a long-lost friend. Frankly, it was not the most glorious cherry blossom (sakura, in Japanese) I have ever seen. In fact, the Tidal Basin Park was not as pink as I once dreamed of. I was a little too late -- if only I had my final exams a few days earlier, I thought to myself, I would be on time for the en masse blooming. Immediately after gaining my senses back, I scratched off the if only thought and realized how perfect the moment really was. There I was standing tall next to the last survivor of this year’s spring cherry blossom in one of the greatest cities in the world. How will I similarly endure the challenges as a student and an intern in this city? Thus, from such opportunistic encounter, I was reminded of how this phase will be a meaningful foundation to my professional life ahead. After all, this is a city of endless opportunities...
