Ivan Solomon ’19
I graduated high school in 2015: the year ISIS and Islamophobia were at their peak. The anti-Muslim rhetoric I heard in school and on TV felt strikingly similar to the anti-Black racism I experienced growing up. At Pomona, I decided to explore the connections between cultures in search of solidarity.
Arabic classes at Claremont McKenna opened the door to Muslim and Middle Eastern culture while courses like Arab Spring and Remaking the Middle East exposed me to the history. Taken together, I was able to filter through Islamophobia to gain a more accurate understanding of the region's rich histories and cultures.
My sophomore year, I was awarded a Boren Scholarship to study abroad in Rabat, Morocco, for my entire junior year. While there, I built deep connections with my host family—we still talk every week—and laid the groundwork for me to return as a Fulbrighter.
Pomona's Middle Eastern studies program is effective because of its independence from U.S. politics. It focuses on people, not policy. The curriculum offers students a collection of ideas and allows them to make their own assessment.