Masara Issa: Wherever the Wind Blows, She’ll Go

Name: Masara Issa

Age: 21

Major: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Hometown: San Diego

Masara is a 4th year, coffee enthusiast, who is very busy. When I asked her to be this weeks campus celeb she jokingly said, “Definitely let me see if I can fit you into my busy schedule!”

Some of her involvements include being a member and secretary of Theta Psi, the nations first coed professional sustainability fraternity. Masara is also advertising chair for Against all O.D.D.S. (orphan disease defender society), a nonprofit who was recently founded here at UCI. This club raises funds and donates them to families who experience rare diseases.

Masara is in fact very busy.She also did evolutionary biology research with Michael Rose (a professor) for 3 years.  “The major goal of the project I was working on was to characterize the effect of population size on the evolutionary dynamics of adaption in populations of trodrosphlia melanogaster (fruit flies) and their undergoing selection.” From this research, Masara was able to present her own research with UROP (undergraduate research opportunities program) last year.

Masara went abroad the summer before becoming a third year in Dublin, Ireland where she studied physics.

What’s one crazy thing you did while being in Dublin?“I found a place in Dublin called the Great South Wall but when I tried to map it on my phone there was no way to get their via transportation so I would have to walk to get there. For some reason it wasn’t something people talked about visiting while they were in Dublin. I searched for pictures and it looked amazing. It was actually the worlds largest sea wall in the world in the time of its building, but now its just the longest wall in Europe.”

Masara was having coffee with a friend that same day. It was around 6 PM and they were deciding what to do when they chose to go the Great South Wall. It didn’t seem too far from where they were spending their evening anyway. Plus the sun didn’t go down until 10 or 11 PM so why not? As they walked to the destination, Masara described walking by isolated buildings and factories. They had been walking for about two hours, which actually felt like forever. The path started to become narrower and Masara and her friend started regretting going, when they saw a man in a bike ride by. This was an indication that there in fact was people around the area so they kept walking. The smell of the sea quickly followed.  By 9 PM they arrived.

This wall is made completely of stones and extends into the ocean with a red lighthouse at the very end. Masara described walking the wall as something exciting. “It was nice knowing that we were surrounded by water in all directions. It was also tiring but the lighthouse at the end kept me and my friend going”.

The Great South Wall is not a site that is as advertised as other places in Dublin for tourists to see. Masara felt more of a homey Irish feeling from this location because there were more locals than tourists and that was beautiful to her.

Lets take it back home. What is your favorite thing about UCI?“The amount of effort our university puts into being sustainable. Compared to other schools, we’re definitely the best. I love that we were able to put solar panels on the rooftops of our parking structures!”

How do you feel knowing Sierra Magazine ranked us the #1 greenest school two years in a row?“I was abroad when that happened for the first time so I was very excited. It’s something to be proud of. It also motivates us to continue being as sustainable and ecofriendly as possible while also raising awareness for this very important cause.”

Tell me about one thing that is on your bucket list.“I want to bungee jump and do the “ocean touch” in New Zealand.

Whoa, what’s the ocean touch?“You bungee jump off of a bridge and they let you touch the ocean a little bit and then bring you back up. It’s kind of like being baptized by the ocean.”

I have lived with Masara for over three years now and she has talked to me about moving around during her childhood and adolescence. Some of the places she has visited and stayed in include Russia, Turkey, Germany, the UK, and Lebanon. 

Since you moved around a lot growing up, what place do you consider most to be your “home”?“I don’t consider a country to be my home. Moving around a lot has made me realize that is isn’t a place that determines your home. A place is temporary. It is the relationships you build at your current stay that become your home.”

That being said, which is your favourite?“Russia because that is were I grew up.”

You have had your share of experiences growing up and while being a student. What is one set of advice you would give to students about life or school?“Other than studying and succeeding in academia, also focus on maintaining relationships with others. The time you interact with them is temporary and in the moment but you’ll be done with university at some point. You never know when you’ll cross paths with someone again and it’s good to have someone you know.”

It is true that Masara is very busy but she is also great.Follow her on Twitter (@MasaraSP) and Instagram (@MasaraSP).