Larissa Kassis Reaps The Rewards of Her Academic Journey and Releases Her First Poetry Book

Born and raised in Syria, Larissa Kassis witnessed the bitterness of the civil war that slid the country toward everlasting chaos leaving people facing uncertainty for tomorrow.

Amid the grief that was growing in her heart and mind, Kassis chose to pursue her life and complete her education. In 2015, Kassis left Syria to continue her studies at LAU as part of the MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Program. No wonder she chose Psychology as a major as Kassis was projecting her life in the long run and looking for ways to serve her country.

Throughout her four academic years, Kassis grew in herself the talent of poetry writing, during her free time, Kassis used to craft poems hidden in a small chaotic notebook. She used this skill as a way to put her thoughts into words trying to clear her head when memories of war start spiraling. To Kassis, this was only a personal getaway that helps her pull herself together and move on.

As days passed by, this “hobby” started to gain the shape of a bigger dream and that dream was to see those poems published.

Kassis brought the idea to LAU MEPI TL administration which welcomed this initiative and worked with her day by day for to complete this project.

“Life Between Parentheses” Kassis’ first poetry book was launched on July 5, 2019, at LAU Beirut campus during a heartwarming ceremony where Kassis gave a glance on the book and the variety of poems that represent a dialogue of change that grew out of pain to finally reach joy.

Kassis attributes the success of this initiative to the LAU MEPI TL program that believed in her and helped her concretize her dream.