Creativity With Cause

The Class of 2026 hosts many powerhouse students, including artist and UNICEF champion Lina Kamel, graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in theatre. Kamel has spent her time at AUC blending her love for psychology and the arts, and channeling that passion into being a representative to the United Nations youth initiative in Egypt — Shabab Balad (main flagship program of Generation Unlimited in Egypt). 

Kamel has long loved the visual arts, creating sculptures and sharing them online. “Art has been a hobby since I was young, and during high school, I realized how powerful it could be when combined with psychology,” she shared. “I could use art to raise awareness of important topics, including mental health. AUC was the best place to mix the two disciplines. I only applied to AUC. I had a feeling that this was the place where I would thrive.” 

While at AUC, Kamel was involved heavily in the Psychology Association, where she organized events that advocated for mental health awareness — a topic she had been imbuing into her art and posting online. Her work eventually got her noticed by Generation Unlimited, a youth advocacy subset of the United Nations.

“I have my own platform where I create ‘visual representations’ and sculptures that convey meaningful messages to people, enabling me to communicate important subjects in a creative way that can be easily understood visually,” Kamel explained.  “My main aim is to help as many people as possible by portraying my ideas through art and by putting people's emotions that can't be seen or described on display through tangible artistic pieces to contribute to a real change in the community.”

While working with Generation Unlimited, Kamel developed sculptures that represented important topics that aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as climate change and mental health. When an Egypt specific branch of Generation Unlimited was announced, she was appointed as a champion, continuing to use her art and her platform to promote essential programs for youth. 

As a champion for Shabab Balad, Kamel works to promote and advocate the program’s work alongside other Egyptian youth who are prominent in their field, such as sports, art, business and advocacy. She turns her passion and platform into a source of guidance for Egyptian youth, directing them to Shabab Balad’s mission of learning and building their capacity for employment and livelihood.

Shabab Balad itself works to give youth access to career opportunities and fill the gap between unemployed recent graduates and unfilled positions. Shabab Balad also provides an environment where youth can undergo career development, assess their talents and find their place in the professional world through innovative and digital creativity.

The Shabab Balad Academy officially launched in December 2025, providing a physical and digital online space for youth to receive career guidance and support. Kamel played a large part in promoting the opening. “It was a huge milestone for me,” she elaborated. “Leading up to it, there was a lot of preparation and meetings where they took our advice on the academy setup, operation of learning services, and ensuring the initiative was youth-led. I presented our work to senior government officials, UN leaders, ambassadors and international partners. Now people can go to a physical space to learn new skills.

As a fresh AUC graduate, Kamel now knows more than ever how important the resources Shabab Balad provides are for her and her peers. “I am now in the situation of being a fresh grad and applying for jobs. This phase of life is difficult because suddenly all the support I had is completely gone. Shabab Balad can be that support for youth, so they can transform learning to earning.” 

Kamel plans to continue serving as a UNICEF champion and promoting the important work of Generation Unlimited and Shabab Balad. Eventually, she wants to become a child psychologist so she can continue mixing her love for art and psychology in an impactful way. As another step forward in her journey as a psychologist, she was awarded the Psychology Department award, crowning her four years at AUC. 

“AUC’s liberal arts education showed me how it was possible to blend all these different disciplines,” she concluded. “I was given the space to be creative, and that allowed me to succeed in everything I do. I am grateful for the opportunity of being an AUCian, as it fueled my passion to continue the work I do, given the fact that it actively supports and values extracurricular involvement and the idea of following one’s dreams.”