This summer, Ribaat offered one-on- one tutoring classes for Arabic students. It was a fruitful experience for many, including Houston resident Miriam Eqab. As an advanced Arabic student, she found the summer program to be very accommodating and well-structured to her learning needs.
“The instructor customized the lessons to my level and my specific problem areas,” says Miriam, who works as a trade compliance lawyer in Texas. “Even though I was introduced to Ribaat years ago, I was not able to find the Arabic studies level I needed until now. This past semester has been so helpful for me in improving
my Arabic skills.” Like many Arabic learners, Miriam’s main goal is to better
understand the Quran. With her Ribaat Arabic instructor, she has been able to work on her reading comprehension. “While I have good vocabulary skills, I sometimes cannot grasp the overall concept of what I am reading or hearing in Arabic,”says
Miriam, who is half-Jordanian. “Being able to work through difficult listening, reading and writing exercises with the instructor has been amazing.”
Miriam is an avid reader and especially enjoys reading non-fiction and news articles. With the language skills she has learned, she even tries to work through the news in Arabic. She is constantly making an effort to apply the knowledge she has gained thus far, even while she reads Quran.
“I have a very busy career and lifestyle, but I am always trying to learn more,” says Miriam. “I really don’t have the time or interest in attending a conventional college or university to further my knowledge, so Ribaat was the perfect option for me. My experience has been great so far, and I am happy to see the dearth of topics the classes cover. I love the convenience of the online system.”
In her free time, Miriam can be found volunteering for a few local organizations that help refugees with resettlement. She also enjoys traveling and working on various crafts. Miriam grew up in Virginia but moved to Houston after getting married 7 years ago. Currently, she is performing Hajj with her husband. May Allah grant them an accepted Hajj and bring them back safe and anew.
