At the age of 5, Raya found herself playing the UAE national anthem on the keyboard and singing it out along with her school mates until the age of 9.

She graduated from high school with distinction awards and received numerous recognitions for her grades, talents in music & arts, and sports.

Growing up to being mom and dad’s trophy daughter, she followed her parents’ dreams of pursuing a career to become a doctor at York University, Toronto. She had faced a lot of challenges with cultural shocks and behavioral changes.

She realized that there was actually a lot more to learn than what she already knew. Bringing these reality checks back home, her parents were not on board but of course helped Raya to find her way through the start of her journey.

Through this podcast episode, Raya will tell her story on how important it is to trust your parents’ judgement, whilst following what your heart deeply desires. Bridging those gaps makes the wildest dreams come true 💫