Following a Family Legacy at Minerva: Meet Abdelrahman, Class of 2030

As a binding applicant, how did you know that Minerva is your dream university?

I knew Minerva was my dream university when I realized it is the only place that truly matches how I want to learn and live. Minerva is not a typical university. It will allow me to study in several countries while building deep experience in my major through real global exposure. As a prospective computer science major, the chance to live and learn in cities such as Taipei and other leading tech hubs will be a game-changer for my career. Beyond the global rotation, Minerva’s curriculum, especially its focus on practicing interdisciplinary Habits of Mind and Foundational Concepts, will equip me with versatile skills that I can apply across fields and cultures.

I am also drawn to Minerva’s Civic Projects, which offer the opportunity to work with organizations from different countries and backgrounds. This mirrors my high school experience, where collaborating with people from diverse regions and systems taught me invaluable skills. Minerva takes that environment to a global level, and that is when I knew that this is the university where I belong.

What role did your brother play in your decision to apply?

My brother was the reason I discovered Minerva and the main influence on my decision to apply. I first learned about Minerva by watching his academic journey there. Over a few years, I saw him grow from a good student into an exceptional computer science expert, and he always credited Minerva’s education and experiences for that transformation. Through him, I understood that Minerva is not a place where you just memorize material, you constantly apply what you learn. He told me about his multiple internships, projects, and the real-world work he did both inside and outside Minerva. Seeing how confident, skilled, and globally minded he became made me realize that this was exactly the kind of education I wanted.

How does it feel to continue the Minerva tradition in your family?

It feels incredibly special because my family is genuinely proud and happy to see me following the same path as my brother. They watched him grow into one of the top experts in his field at Minerva, and now they’re excited to see me start my own journey there. For them, it feels like our family is building a shared tradition of growth, opportunity, and academic excellence.

What was your favorite accomplishment that you submitted in your Minerva application?

My favorite accomplishment is being accepted, with an $11,000 full grant, to the highly selective Science Internship Program at UC Santa Cruz (about 5% of 3,338 applicants, and under 2% of international students). Over the summer, I worked ~45 hours per week with two peers and professor on electrical engineering research using deep learning–based autoencoders to design secure communication over wiretap channels, ensuring Bob could reliably decode messages while limiting what Eve could learn. We culminated the project by presenting our results to over 200 students and professors and publishing our paper, which made this experience my proudest achievement.

What are you most looking forward to in your Minerva journey?

I am most looking forward to how much I will grow, both academically and personally. I am excited to see how my technical skills in computer science will transform after four years of learning from Minerva professors, doing internships, and working on civic projects in different countries. I look forward to building strong connections with classmates from many cultural and academic backgrounds, collaborating on research, and maybe even launching a startup together.

 Is there a particular city in the global rotation you’re most excited about?

I’m especially excited about Berlin. Growing up, I dreamed of visiting Germany and exploring countries across Europe, and Berlin has always stood out to me. Through Minerva’s global rotation, I’ll finally have the chance to live there, discover the city’s culture and history, and use it as a gateway to learn more about the beliefs and traditions of other European countries.

What are you excited to bring to the Minerva community next year?

I am excited to bring a perspective shaped by overcoming academic challenges and collaborating with people from many different backgrounds. At Minerva, I hope to contribute creative ideas, a strong collaborative spirit, and a commitment to building a supportive community both inside and outside the classroom. As an Egyptian student, I also look forward to sharing my culture, traditions, and history so that my peers can learn more about my country’s civilization and contemporary life.

What are some of your academic interests, and how do you hope to explore them at Minerva?

I am deeply interested in Computer Science, especially how technology can be used to solve real-world problems across different cultures and systems. At Minerva, I hope to build a strong foundation in computer science while also connecting it to social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities through the interdisciplinary curriculum and habits of mind and foundational concepts. Studying in global cities such as Taipei and other technology-focused hubs will allow me to see how different countries approach innovation. I also hope to gain internship experiences at leading companies like Google, Two Sigma, or Microsoft, where I can sharpen my technical skills and work on impactful projects.

What would you say to fellow high school seniors who are thinking about applying to Minerva?

If you’re a senior who wants more than a typical campus and dreams of studying in several countries while gaining practical skills to solve real problems, I’d encourage you to apply to Minerva and start that journey now.