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“Huntsman was my top choice. Not Wharton, and not just Penn. Huntsman,” Besan says. “Someone with a background in both International Studies and Business can make a difference in the Middle East.”

In addition to the Huntsman curriculum, Besan is pursuing a major in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. She also takes courses in Hebrew. She is on the board of Penn for Palestine and is an active member of the Penn Arab Students Society, the Muslim Student Society, and UNICEF.

Besan Abu-Joudeh grew up in an Arab-American family, very aware of the conflicts in the Middle East.  She was born in Richmond, VA and spent most of her life there. From 4th to 8th grade, she lived in the United Arab Emirates where she was completely immersed in the culture and language of her heritage for the first time.

The summer after tenth grade, Besan volunteered at a refugee camp in Palestine while doing research on human rights and international law violations. She is interning at a Microfinance corporation in Palestine this summer. After college, Besan plans to pursue nonprofit work or economic development through the government. “Whatever it is I do, I hope to make a difference,” she says.