Some photographs do more than preserve a moment. They take you back to the people and places that quietly shaped who you would become.
This photo from 1987 does that for me. It brings back my years at Collège de la Sainte Famille, the place where my core values were first planted.
I remain deeply grateful to the remarkable educators who guided me there: the headmaster, Monsieur Elias, Mme. Mary, Mme. Magda, and above all Frère Aldo (pictured, left).
Frère Aldo was an Italian monk, yet he taught us to love Egypt and its people with a depth I have never forgotten. Through his example, more than his words, he showed me what charity and compassion look like in everyday life.
He taught me that goodness is not something you talk about. It is something you practise.
His example inspired me to embrace service, to try to make a positive difference wherever I am, and to choose goodness even when it is not the easy path. Those lessons have stayed with me ever since, and they still guide my path today.
I will always be indebted to Collège de la Sainte Famille for giving me the foundation that shaped who I am.