Melanie Lobsinger. Courtesy of the photographer.

Melanie Lobsinger

Graduated May 2016

B.S. in Architecture and Sustainability 

Honors alumna, Melanie Lobsinger, was a recipient of the William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship and spent two months studying in the United Arab Emirates. She furthered her education in the architecture field by taking courses at the American University in Dubai. Below are comments from her time there.

“I learned to live fully. I spent every weekend discovering new corners of the city. I went dune bashing. I rode a sketchy, crude oil-fueled boat over the creek in old Dubai for a quarter. I swam in the Indian Ocean. I saw Ferraris and Bugattis every day. I saw the most breathtaking temple in Abu Dhabi called the Sheikh Zeyed Mosque. I learned to appreciate the smoke-free environment of America. I ascended over 1,200 feet in the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I spent 80-degree nights walking through the most superbly clean and shining city I’ve ever seen. I rode a camel. I met amazing people. I got lost on the metro. I took The Leap of Faith — for real; it’s a ride at the Atlantis water park. I sweated, a lot. But it was all worth it”