Fall for the Book Event Reminds Student Why He Came to Mason

Fall for the Book Event Reminds Student Why He Came to Mason
Zainab Salbi speaks at Mason's Center for the Performing Arts during the 2013 Fall for the Book Festival.

By Bryan Dombrowski (with Penny Gilchrist)

Every Fall semester, George Mason holds the Fall For The Book Festival, for which various authors travel to campus to give presentations about their work, lead discussions, and answer questions from their fans.

I had never before attended a Fall for the Book event. When I agreed to attend the Zainab Salbi event in order to write this article for New Century College, one of the event’s sponsors, I had no idea what to expect.

I had just finished an interview with a NCC student who was on his way to see her speak, so we decided to walk over together. We found seats near the back of the Center for the Performing Arts lobby. Often, as I pass the Fall for the Book tent, I’ll see small crowds of around 40 people in attendance. I was counting heads shortly before Salbi was to start and had reached a total of 100 when 400 students from Freedom High School came through the lobby doors.

As students were running out of room to sit and stand I thought to myself,” Wow she must really be something for this kind of turnout.”

After brief introductions, Salbi, a Mason and New Century College Alumni, went right into talking about the relationships she has had with women from all over the world who have survived war, discrimination, violence, and poverty.

The stories she shared made me thankful for the life I was fortunate enough to be born into—one without war, hunger, or abuse. Salbi told us that, despite the situations they came from and faced every day, these women were resilient. Through her speech it became clear that the stories from If You Knew Me You Would Care were able to open a glimpse into the story of Salbi’s personal success.

Born in Iran and moving to the United States to attend George Mason University and earn a BA in Individualized Studies, she did not have an easy road to what she has become today; the president and founder of Women for Women, an organization that provides practical and moral support to women survivors of war. “If a poor immigrant can do it, then you can do it.” Salbi told us.

One thing that stood out about Salbi was her ability to make the audience want to cry from sadness at one moment and from laughter the next. Her work taught her that in light of everything she has seen and experienced, it is important to always look for joy in life. Finding that joy in dark times can be hard, but if you are doing what you are passionate about, joy will come. “Not everyone can go on my journey but everyone must go on the journey of their truth,” she said.

An hour beforehand I was unsure if I would find enough content of interest to write this article, and then found myself experiencing the kind of inspirational talk every college student needs now and again. I realized that over time the elements of life wear down on our hopes and make us cynical. At some point we all wanted to change the world, but hardship leaves us wanting just to get by. Listening to Salbi and watching how all these people came together to see her reminded me why we students are here at Mason.

We are not all here for a cookie cutter college experience: get a degree and get out. Many of us came to Mason with a passion to impact the world and those whose lives we share, driven by some unstoppable aspiration to make the world better for everyone. At times we may get distracted, seeking pleasure and comfort before accomplishments of compassion and solicitude, but Salbi reminds us to look past the desires of today and seek fulfillment through helping others.

“If you live long enough it will happen,” Salbi says. “Follow your dreams first and the job will always follow later.”

Bryan Dombrowski is a senior at Mason majoring in computer game design. He is the communications assistant for New Century College.