From a village to NASA
My name is Yasmine Yahya Moustafa, and now i am 19 years old. My story has started since i was 15 when i decided to join the STEM schools. STEM is a new high school system focusing on preparing students to become leaders in the field of science , technology , engineering and mathematics (STEM). It was a big challenge for a country side girl to convince her parents to let her stay alone in a boarding school but with my mum's support it was not that bad. On the other hand i had received a lot of comments about leaving home and staying in the capital. I decided not to listen to anyone and be a train , i told my self that i shouldn't stop till i reach my destination.
I am from a small village in Damietta governorate in Egypt and the first unusual thing i have done in my life was leaving my home and joining a boarding school in Cairo. in this school i had the opportunity to learn the scientific research or what we call "The Engineering Design Process" and from that i started working on the "Egypt grand challenges". I have done about 5 researches to solve different problems such as Traffic and car's accidents , detecting HCV , urban congestion , Energy and water pollution.
I applied for the first time for INTEL ISEF (INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair) in 2015 and because i worked really hard i was pleased to be one of the Egyptian delegates in USA to present my country and discuss my project and after a lot of days suffering i became the first Arab girl to win the first place in Earth and Environmental category in INTEL ISEF.
https://www.google.com.cy/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiq7IG6psjWAhWHNhoKHcZ9A18QuAIILzAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbBiwFfZ5X80&usg=AFQjCNG2c7K_mZXgPYCyK5lyCc-1a03e5A
After all of that i didn't forget the train strategy i am working with so i applied to other competitions just to exchange the experience and the knowledge and every time -thank god- i won something a place or a prize from a competition here or even an experience from a conference there.
INTEL ISEF was not the only competition i won but it is still my first fulfillment and it is the step that encouraged me a lot to continue.
After that i was honored from NASA and MIT by naming a minor planet after my family name "MOUSTAFA31910" i couldn't believe such an honor but still i know i can do better i will never stop till i die.
What i am proud of the most is not all of that but changing the mentality of the people who were refusing the idea of " a girl that will leave her family to join a new school" and the idea of " the girl who is traveling a lone". Now those people are encouraging their children to do the same and this makes me more than proud.
