2023-24 President's Scholars

Rein Mortada

Bernard and Lucie Bidart President's Scholar

Major: Political Science, minor in History

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

Activities: Prison Education Program; EOP; Kellogg Honors College; CPP Children’s Center teacher

One Word to Describe CPP: “Supportive. I attribute my success to the support and guidance of the professors on campus.”

An early-childhood education job at Cal Poly Pomona has led Rein into higher education studies that align with her interest in international relations. “As a Lebanese immigrant, I grew up speaking Arabic with my family and friends. I later picked up French and spent time learning about French colonialism in Lebanon. Wanting to undersatnd the historical and political context behind the Middle East conflict, political science is the perfect intersection of my academic interests.” Thinking that her degree might lead to law school, Rein pivoted in her third year to her first love of teaching after an internship class and working with Professor Renford Reese in the Prison Education Program. In the program, she taught incarcerated youths in medium and high security detention centers to prepare for college by studying for the GED exam, filling out financial aid forms, and researching colleges. Rein aspires to use her education and life experiences to positively contribute to both local and global communities by pursuing a career in teaching and research.