Akram Sbaih

“Learning how to use zeros and ones to represent numbers, and learning how to endow a trillion transistors intelligence to comprehend a poem or paint a masterpiece both entice the same good old curiosity that brought me here,” he says. 

Akram has since taken advantage of the many resources he found at Stanford. He has contributed to the Stanford AI Lab and worked as a software engineer at companies like Imagry, Verkada, and Nvidia, taking part in developing autonomous vehicles and other AI applications. He has also served as a teaching assistant for multiple computer science courses for more than three years, lending his expertise and enthusiasm for computer science to others. No less important, he has participated in extracurricular opportunities, from skiing in the Sierra Nevada to climbing down Death Valley to learn its geology. 

“If I valued one thing the most through this education, it would be the confidence in myself and others I acquired through the challenges here. I realize the potential in myself and others more clearly now and I am always excited to apply it on the right causes.” 

In addition to being on a trajectory to complete his education and gain professional experience in the United States, Akram has a strong desire to give back to his community back home. “My long-term goal is to be back in Palestine and continue the good work I had left back home with friends. There’s a lot of technical knowledge to be brought back. More importantly, leadership, resources, connections, and a bigger picture of where to start and a passion for progress.”