Wala Al-Sadi, a senior communication student at LAU and a Middle East Partnership Initiative-Tomorrow’s Leaders (MEPI-TL) undergraduate scholar from Yemen, has been granted the McCall MacBain Scholarship, a globally competitive opportunity to pursue a fully funded master’s degree and leadership program at McGill University in Canada.

Chosen among thousands of international applicants, Al-Sadi has become the first McCall MacBain scholar from Yemen, and the second from LAU to be selected, following in Zina Kamel’s (BS ’24) footsteps.

Al-Sadi recalls living in war conditions while completing the application and conducting the preliminary interviews. “There were many times I did not think I would make it, but I did. That moment gave hope not just to me, but to everyone around me, and I’m very grateful for this program,” she said, pledging to make the best of the opportunity, both in terms of professional development and in supporting her community back home.

The program constitutes Canada’s largest leadership-based scholarship for master’s and professional studies, covering tuition and fees, living costs, relocation to Canada and summer funding, as well as participation in mentorship, coaching and leadership development programs.

“These scholarships were created out of a belief that our world needs people who aspire to lead with purpose, empathy, integrity and courage,” said Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain, chair of the scholarship at McGill. “We want to create opportunities for students to dream big, cultivate leadership and contribute to something greater than themselves,” she added.

Al-Sadi, who plans to pursue an MA in Digital Humanities at McGill, wants to focus on digital archiving and communication research. While still an undergraduate at LAU, she became a team leader and research manager at YEMRSH, a digital archive that preserves Yemeni art and culture, while also volunteering as a social media designer for a platform that supports Yemeni female artists. Al-Sadi was also an active member of the Photography Club and had interned at the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.

Congratulating Al-Sadi on her achievements, LAU Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem said that news of her selection for the scholarship is a point of pride for LAU, the Communication, Mobility and Identity Department, and the MEPI-TL program.