A grade 11 student at Lycée Libanais Francophone Privee Dubai, Elias Eliott Remeily has always nursed a passion for math and physics. ‘‘My math and physics classes were never a chore,’’ says the Lebanese expat student. ‘‘They were a way for me to take a break from analyzing William Shakespeare’s plays and to discover how the world functions: from how bridges are constructed to how computers operate.’’
‘‘I discovered that engineering gave me the chance to further dive into the latest discoveries in physics and apply my mathematical knowledge,’’ he says.
Constantly exploring ways to broaden his vistas of knowledge, including outside the classroom, he has participated in international math Olympiads, completed Stanford’s course on How to Learn Math and Harvard’s CS50S introduction course. He also developed programs on his own and made his own desktop computer with a Raspberry Pi during his internship with PwC’s emerging technologies team.
During his free time he offers math and physics lessons to students at his school.
Elias is also a mentor in his school’s MUN club. ‘‘I teach younger students about the United Nations, the rules of Model United Nations (MUN) and help them improve their communication and public speaking skills,’’ says the young man who has also participated in two MUNs held by Oxford. ‘‘It was a great experience during which I worked on my public speaking skills and learned a lot on current global problems.’’
Apart from academics, Elias is also honing his skills in sports and music. A 2nd Dan black belt in Karate, he is the vice-captain of his football team. ‘‘I love skiing and swimming, and play the guitar,’’ he adds.
Giving back to the community
It was last summer that he discovered he had a passion for DJing. Keen to give back to his community in Lebanon in some way, Elias decided to raise funds by DJing at parties.
‘‘I started DJing for fun at my friends’ birthday parties and it was during one of those sessions that it struck me that I could use this talent of mine to raise money and donate it to the Red Cross in Lebanon,’’ he says.
He put the word out and soon landed a few gigs where he spun the discs, raising money that he gave away to the Red Cross to help relief work in Lebanon.
His determination to help his home country led him to work on another project with a group of friends.
‘‘We designed a variety of bracelets and the money we raised from selling them was donated to different charities in Lebanon. One charity helps children with special needs; another offers the opportunities for people to help underprivileged people; and one helps give underprivileged students access to school resources and necessities.’’
The Dubai student and a small group of his friends are also currently working on a few other projects. ‘‘My goal is to help as as many families in Lebanon as possible. These are families that were adversely affected by the crisis and the economic situation in the country.’’
On the academic front, Elias is preparing to go to Baltimore, US, this summer to participate in the Johns Hopkins’ Engineering Innovation summer camp. ‘‘I am going to learn about different engineering fields including mechanical, civil, and chemical. This will help me in choosing which engineering major I would like to pursue in the future,’’ says the student who is hoping to major in engineering.
“I would love to study engineering in college. As a matter of fact, engineering has changed the world we live in. It will help me support the development of the economy of my home country as well as improve the quality of life of the Lebanese people by rebuilding the country’s infrastructure. Utilizing natural resources will produce low-cost renewable energy such as wind, solar and hydro energy.”
To learn more, visit haleeducation.com.
