From Campus to Community: How My ZAKA Ambassador Journey Turned Ideas into Action

Questions started before the workshop even officially began

Students crowded the front rows of the Lebanese University lecture hall with
their phones out and their curiosity wide open. Some wanted to understand what
Artificial Intelligence actually means. Others wanted to know how tools like
ChatGPT work and where AI fits into their studies, their careers, and their
futures

Standing at the front of that room, microphone in hand, I understood something
clearly: people do not always need complex explanations to care about
technology. They need someone to open the conversation

That moment became the defining image of my journey as a ZAKA Ambassador

Joining With a Purpose

When I joined the ZAKA Ambassador Program, my goals were straightforward:
learn more about AI, connect with people who shared similar interests, and push
myself beyond the classroom. What I found exceeded my expectations

ZAKA gave me a platform to take real initiative, a network of driven people across
the region, and the trust to build something meaningful on my own campus

Building Visibility, One Post at a Time

One of my first contributions was strengthening our chapter’s social media
presence

I also enjoyed supporting initiatives beyond my own work and helping showcase
what others in the community were building. Watching different efforts come
together reinforced something important: communities grow through people
who contribute consistently and celebrate each other’s work

Watching different efforts come together reinforced something important:
communities grow through people who contribute consistently and celebrate
each other’s work.

The Workshop That Changed the Energy

Organizing and delivering my own university event was the moment everything
clicked. I hosted an AI for Everyone workshop at the Lebanese University,
Faculty of Sciences 3, and preparing the session pushed me to think differently
about communication.

Explaining ideas clearly, keeping an audience engaged, and creating an
environment where people felt comfortable asking questions required
preparation, focus, and genuine care for the experience each participant would
walk away with. During the session, we explored what AI is, where it appears in
everyday life, and how generative AI tools are changing the way people learn,
create, and solve problems. The slides covered everything from the types of AI to
real-world examples that students immediately recognized from their own lives.

What This Journey Built in Me

This experience made me more confident communicating ideas, organizing
initiatives, and taking ownership of outcomes. I learned that leadership is built
through consistency and that communities become stronger when people
support one another.

What I appreciate most about ZAKA is the trust extended to ambassadors to
bring ideas to life and create experiences that genuinely matter. I am grateful for
every event, every conversation, and every person I met throughout this journey,
and I am excited to continue contributing and see where this journey leads next

I’m excited to continue contributing and see where this journey leads next