Manahil and Moutaz Jad

Students

“Our internship gave us the experience of dealing with children, senior citizens, and the homeless. It was a great way to pay back the community that we’ve lived in for so long.”

It must be puzzling to the Jad family living in Saudi Arabia that Manahil and Moutaz—after 14 years in Southern California—have become “Manny and Moe.” Their American nicknames make them sound like a comedy team. Well, they do like to laugh, and they are definitely a team.

“It was great doing the internship with my sister,” says ‘Moe’. “She’s my best friend.”

“We’re the only family we have now, here in the States,” adds ‘Manny.’” “Being here alone has really brought us closer together.” Moutaz plans on transferring to the film department at USC or NYU to become a film director. Manahil has her eye on Berkeley or Georgetown where, she says, “I plan on getting my M.D. to practice psychology.” This ambitious brother/sister team has traveled and seen a lot of adventure in their young lives, including their last trip home. “We arrived in Saudi Arabia a couple of hours before Saddam invaded Kuwait,” recalls Manahil. “And it was really intense.” But ‘Manny and Moe’ also experienced another kind of intensity in their SMC Summer Internship.

“We worked at the St. Joseph’s Center with a lot of senior citizens,” says Moutaz. “We’d take them groceries and just sit and talk with them. They’re often really neglected by their families, so they really appreciated our efforts.” Manahil says that, “I’ve always wanted to volunteer and the internship propelled me. I feel like I have made a strong difference in people’s lives. Even if I only helped in small ways—like helping with children, or with basic needs like showering or shaving—I felt grateful to be there for them. In that sense, my internship changed my life.”

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