Aiming for the stars

With her eyes firmly set on the future, Tibah Ali is working to bring about changes to make the world a better place and students more empowered

Aself-described dreamer, Tibah Ali enjoys learning and exploring things. ‘‘I consider that a life-long hobby,'' says the STEM enthusiast and aspiring entrepreneur who is passionate about bringing about changes to the educational system and help students learn effectively. With a keen interest in Astronomy and Astrophysics, she also enjoys reading sci-fi, horror, and thrillers.

The founder of the Enkitah initiative and the Tibtopia team, she is passionate about hosting online sessions on linguistics and astronomy with her team and members. Tibah also volunteers with organizations as a graphic designer and a social media marketing manager. ‘‘I love to work for the future,'' she says.

Excerpts from an interview:

Tell us a little about the Enkitah initiative.

It is an initiative that empowers students through passion-based learning and unites them to bring change to the educational system. At Enkitah we have ambassadors of change covering areas of Iraq and Egypt. We hope to gather ambassadors of all ages and educational backgrounds to acknowledge the need for change through educational projects, and drive for a better future.

How and why did you set it up?

In early 2022. I was watching my classmates and students in Iraq struggle physically and mentally with an educational system that [we think needs a revamp]. After being an advocate for change since 2018 I shifted from organizing student-led activities to an initiative with ambitious goals.

Tell us some of its major achievements.

Enkitah is one of the 500 finalists' projects of Rise for the World initiative chosen from the 50,000 applicants pool. Enkitah initiated a number of passion projects organized by students, the Tibopia astronomy team being among them. More than 433 students were impacted by our online groups. Enkitah organised mental health support groups for students.

What is the mission of the Tibtopia team?

The Tiptopia team extends beyond organizing online activities, doing collaborative research, and creating educational content. As a team, we think we can use Astronomy to show the world a different way to view the human race beyond our conflicts. We want to bring students passionate about STEM to raise awareness of Aeronautical Sciences and spread our message of peace.

How do you juggle so many things?

I designed a system for myself that mainly depends on journaling that prioritizes my daily tasks based on their importance to my personal development and the benefit of people around me.

Every morning, I have my tasks organized and written down in my journal. So I start my day by reviewing my journal and Google Calendar.

I also reserve some days of the week for a specific thing, for example, Fridays for Enkitah, Mondays for Tibtopia.

What time management tips can you offer students?

Set proper weekly goals and focus on them. Remember the reason behind everything you do and where you spend your time: is it something that matters to you? If so, keep a board and write everything that you do on a daily basis on it, look for the deeper meaning in what you do, and let that inspire you to not procrastinate.

What has been your 3 greatest achievements to date?

I'm really proud of being the founder of Enkitah because it is what many students sought and hoped for to solve the problems of the educational system, and I believe it's a project that greatly defines a big part of me as a person.

Also, in 2021 when I was 15, I started a business that I never thought would succeed but it did! I started it to learn how to mix my interests, passion, and entrepreneurship. It was an extremely educational experience.

This year I researched acute myeloid leukemia and it's something that truly excites me to get into the world of STEM and research in the near future.