Bushra Shums

The clock was ticking, and we were running out of time. My friends and I were locked in an escape room, scrambling for clues, shouting over each other with half-baked theories, and laughing at how ridiculous we all sounded. It was chaos, but the best kind.

That night wasn’t just about solving puzzles; it was about us. Just like when we first walked into NYU Abu Dhabi, uncertain and facing challenges that sometimes felt impossible, we had no idea how we’d get through. But the way we worked together, the way we trusted each other, the way we balanced panic with laughter, it was a perfect reflection of the friendships we’d built. We weren’t just trying to escape a locked room; we were learning, in the most ridiculous way possible, what it means to navigate life’s challenges together.

That’s what NYUAD has been for me. A place where I found the people who would stay up late, figuring things out with me, whether it was coursework, life decisions, or what to eat for dinner. The ones who made stress bearable, who celebrated even the small victories, and who somehow made even the most frustrating moments fun.

When we finally cracked the last puzzle and the door swung open, we ran out cheering, feeling like we’d won something far bigger than just the game. And in a way, we had. The real win, for me, wasn’t escaping the room; it was realizing that no matter where we came from, I had found people who felt like home.

Graduation feels like another door opening, another step into the unknown. But if there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that with the right people, you’ll always find your way. Thank you to my people for sticking with me through every late-night rant, every ridiculous debate, and every uncontrollable laugh. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates in this escape room named NYUAD.