Josiane Attallah

Lebanon

“This field isn’t for me” –Josiane Attallah reached this conclusion in her last year of university as a biology major. She had two options: continue or start again.

She chose to turn the page and go back to the beginning of her story.

“I made the decision – I will not complete my master’s and I will not work in the field of biology. But what is the alternative? I decided to look at the labour market and find the most promising fields and sectors in the world. One word that really changed my life: data!  How can I be so far from this field, since we are in the age of data?!”

It wasn’t easy for Josiane to take a risk and plan her future in a field she knew nothing about. “The Data Analysis course from the One Million Arab Coders initiative is the heart of my life!”.

Josiane, who is currently in New York pursuing her postgraduate studies in international relations and development, says:

“I learned that data is one of the most important communication tools today if we can use it well. It is the best solution for building bridges between worlds despite all our differences. The lessons prompted us to think in a critical and analytical way and to learn data manipulation as well”.

After earning her certificate in data analysis, her view and approach to numbers and statistics changed. Also, she came to realize it’s the field she wants to specialize in for the rest of her life.

This change affected all aspects of Josiane’s life. She has learned to harness the information in her work with the “Peace First” organization, which aims to support Arab youth working to establish change in their communities. Josiane, with a hopeful and positive look, says: “One of the most beautiful coincidences I encountered after I graduated from the One Million Arab Coders initiative is discovering that during my work with an Arab youth to launch his project, we both have certificates from the same platform. The generation this platform is helping will one day bring forth great change in our Arab world”.