Remote control car:

Like all children, she loved playing and having fun a lot, especially video games. She always got the highest score in every game she played. As for the gifts she asked for, they were a remote-controlled car, until over time she came to own a large collection of cars - she loved the feeling that she was controlling the course of the game!

She grew up.. and her love for understanding things, controlling them, and winning grew too..!

She is Sarah Al Nasser, a third-year high school student. In three years of her life, she has drawn a lifelong journey. She found answers to her perplexing questions, got to know herself, and discovered the path to her dreams.

I haven't achieved my dreams yet.. I just knew what they were, and found the way to them..! Sarah says I haven't achieved my dreams yet.. I just knew what they were, and found the way to them..!

Scientist Sarah:

Since her childhood, she was attracted to encyclopedias and documentaries. She enjoyed reading about the world of animals, space, geography and history. When her teacher asked her about her future, she would say: “I am the scientist Sarah.”

Her mother, on the one hand, greatly reinforced these tendencies. She used to carefully select books and encyclopedias for her, and she used to encourage her to read newspapers on a daily basis. Sarah loved reading books, but she only read newspapers out of courtesy to her mother. With time, she came to know how to read and what to read, and she began to make some newspaper articles - especially scientific ones - an opportunity to discuss and analyze them with her mother.

The story of the first invention!

In the fourth grade, specifically after Sarah studied the electric cell, she tried to invent a device that she called the "luminous piggy bank". She applied what she understood from the lesson, and her simple experience in disassembling and assembling that she practiced with her toys constantly.. and she actually implemented the idea..! The teacher did not believe her at first that she was the one who made the invention.. She promised her to display it in the school exhibition, but she couldn't..!

Sarah was a little disappointed... but at least she discovered that she loved science, and loved new ideas!

Searching for the self:

In middle school, Sarah took an IQ test and got a very high score, but her teacher didn't believe her because she was very active and asked questions.. and neither did her friends at school. She felt different and also a bit lost. Her interests were completely different from her peers. There was something she always thought she had to do but she didn't know what it was. Many questions were running through her mind and she couldn't find answers for them.. like: What do I like? What do I want to do? Where do I go? How do I start?

Her dream was to participate in a science fair like the ones she used to see in movies and read about in newspapers..!

All she could identify of her desires was that she wanted very much to participate in a science fair like the ones she used to see in movies and read about in the newspapers..! But it was a dream.. only..!

The first drop of rain!

 In the last year of middle school, one of her teachers introduced her to Mawhiba’s summer programs, and she joined them. That opportunity was like the first drop of rain. After that, the achievements continued. Sarah says: “Joining the program changed my view of myself, my ambitions, and many things. My steps became more steadfast. I can say with confidence: What do I want to be? And how will I achieve that?”

After this program, Sarah joined three other Mawhiba summer programs, and became one of the first batch of students in the Partnership with Schools Initiative. These educational opportunities opened up new horizons for Sarah, enriched her knowledge, and developed her thinking skills, leading to her successive achievements. She qualified to participate in the Science and Engineering Fair in 2010, and although she did not win any place, her qualification motivated her to participate in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibdaa" 2011, where she won second place at the Kingdom level in the scientific research track. She also participated with the same research in "Intel Arab World", achieving first place in the field of medicine and health sciences, zoology, molecular and cellular biology, and second prize as the best project participating in the competition at the Arab countries level. She also qualified to participate in Intel ISEF World 2011.

In addition, Sarah participated in the Physics Olympiad and qualified for the first stage among only 20 candidates at the Kingdom level for two consecutive years (2010-2011). Recently, Sarah participated again in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity "Ibdaa" 2012, achieving fifth place at the Kingdom level in the scientific research track.  

Group consultations!

Sarah is very grateful to her family, as she says she has been through several situations where she could have stopped producing and been devastated, but her family has always held social counseling sessions for her and her sisters, during which the negatives and positives of each opportunity or idea are discussed, and they provide support and advice!

“These meetings have filled me with confidence and determination, and confidence and determination are the foundation of all success!” says Sarah.

Sarah Al Nasser's projects:

Research (Environmental Components and Human Responses):

This research studies the effect of sudden loud noises on a person’s psyche and observes the differences between reactions and habituation to sounds between age groups. Through research and experiments, Sarah concluded that children are more frightened by loud noises for the first time, but they are more accustomed to them than adults. Sarah participated in this research in the Mawhiba Science and Engineering Competition 2010.

Research (Study of the physiological and histological effect of the insecticide chlorpyrifos on fertility): This research studies the effect of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, which is commonly used on agricultural crops and remains on many products such as dates at high rates exceeding 6 times the permissible rate for this insecticide on infertility. It was tested on male and female rats by injecting them daily with different doses of 5, 10, 15 mg/kg and observing the effect on sex hormones, reproductive organs and external appearance.

With this research, which she worked on in collaboration with her colleague Noura Al-Rubaiq, Sarah achieved second place at the Kingdom level in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity 2011. She also qualified to participate in the “Arab World ISEF” and won first place in the field of medicine, health sciences, zoology, molecular and cellular biology, and second prize as the best project participating in the competition at the Arab countries level. She also qualified to participate in the Intel World ISEF 2011.

Research (Studying the possibility of applying the Leidenfrost effect to maritime transport): With this research, Sarah achieved fifth place in the Kingdom in the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity 2012. It is an application of a new method that increases the efficiency of the ship by raising the temperature of the ship’s hull to form the Leidenfrost effect, thus reducing friction with the water, increasing the ship’s speed and reducing fuel consumption, thus reducing carbon dioxide gas resulting from the combustion of this fuel.

Makers of the future!  

Sarah Al Nasser, a high school student, who realized her talent and inclinations in her final year of middle school, was able in three years to prepare three original scientific research papers and participate in many local and international scientific forums, which made her believe that there are great abilities for every person and that he only has to discover them..! Every person has great abilities, all he has to do is just discover them..!

Based on this belief, Sarah organized a volunteer group with her friends, Noura Al-Rabiq and Rahaf Al-Bathi, called “Future Makers” with the aim of training young people and spreading the concept of volunteering. Through this team, they gave lectures to encourage female students to participate in the Olympiad. They also prepared other small projects for children in one of the mosques, such as: “My Prayers Light Up My Life” project.  

Sarah Al Nasser.. A creative model from whom we learn that if a person knows what he loves, no obstacle can stand in his way..!