“We Are Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams”: A Graduate’s Journey from Kuwait to Pardee
Seven years ago, after being rejected from Boston University, Fotouh Khaled AlAwadhi would walk down Commonwealth Avenue, watching BU students pass by and wondering, “What do all these people have that I don’t?” Today, that same path tells a different story. Not only has she completed her bachelor’s degree at BU, but she has just defended her master’s thesis at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies with distinction – and been nominated for the prestigious Ambassador Hermann Frederick Eilts Thesis Award.
“It’s incredible to me now that I was able to get my bachelor’s and now my master’s from BU,” she reflects. Her journey from Kuwait to Boston wasn’t straightforward. Initially rejected from BU, she persevered, completing a semester in BU’s English program and a year at UMass Boston before successfully transferring in. “I still came to Boston, and I was like, I’m still going to try hard to get into BU.”
What drew her to continue at Pardee for her master’s? The ability to pursue her passions. “I love that I can see myself in professors that look like me and come from the same region as me – women professors in America. I never expected that,” she shares. Her thesis, “Persona Non Grata: Statelessness, Identity and Exclusionary Politics in Kuwait State Building,” examines citizenship policies in Kuwait, a topic some considered taboo.
Despite discouragement from friends and family about her research topic, AlAwadhi persisted. “A lot of people in Kuwait would say ‘Oh, we know this.’ But there’s no academic research about it – it’s all word of mouth. I wanted this to be foundational research for anyone looking into statelessness and citizenship in Kuwait.” Her dedication paid off – her thesis committee, including renowned expert Professor Noora Lori, praised it as “PhD-level work.”
For AlAwadhi, this academic journey represents more than personal achievement. “While I’m blessed to have parents who are successful and educated, our grandmothers and grandfathers didn’t always have this privilege,” she reflects. “They lived through Kuwait before the oil boom and likely never imagined that their daughters or granddaughters would one day be traveling alone to pursue higher education in the States. This degree isn’t just for you—it’s for them too. It’s a way to honor their sacrifices and dreams, whether they’re still with us or have passed on.”
Pardee’s flexible, interdisciplinary approach allowed AlAwadhi to tailor her degree to her interests, completing her Master’s in International Affairs with a Diplomacy specialization. She completed a certificate in Muslim Studies and took courses across BU, from law school classes to Arabic studies. “You can literally tailor the program to what you like,” she explains. “At Pardee, you get this small college experience, but in a big research school in a big city and a big university. Everyone knows each other, and it feels cozy and sweet.”
Her advice to future students extends beyond academics: “You’ll never be this young again in a beautiful city like Boston, surrounded by the diversity and vibrancy of a university like BU. You’ve already made it this far, so take advantage of every opportunity and resist the urge to isolate yourself—whether it’s due to work or personal challenges—and embrace the experiences around you, even when it feels easier to stay home.”
“The more you learn, the less you know,” she adds, reflecting on her academic growth. “There’s never a dull moment at Pardee – there’s no way you’re not going to learn something new.” She emphasizes the importance of asking questions, even when they seem basic: “Part of the reason why I was able to do so well was because I wasn’t scared to ask all these ‘stupid’ questions to everyone.”
Now, with dreams of working for Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and eventually pursuing a PhD, AlAwadhi carries with her a powerful reminder from her first day at BU. “I remember at matriculation, there was a quote in purple that said, ‘You deserve to be here.’ I always think of that when I have imposter syndrome… As long as you’re better than the person you were yesterday or a month ago, that’s all that matters.”