Fahad Alden

Fahad Alden knows the weight of ambition and expectations.

Alden, who is double-majoring in digital media and English with a concentration in theatre arts, was born in Iraq. His earliest memory is of the day his family left for the United States, a country and culture that was utterly foreign to them, so that he could have a better future.

“When you come from an immigrant family, there is a lot of pressure to be exceptional, to make your parents’ sacrifices worth it,” he says.

So he proved himself, over and over – partly for them and partly for himself. While in high school, he became the first Arab American to be elected to the library board of trustees in his family’s adopted hometown of Bedford, Massachusetts.

Alden also started a “self-help” show on public access cable aimed at helping young people develop the personal, work and leadership skills to become more confident and successful. He interviewed local political and community leaders about their paths to success.

“Media was my outlet,” he says.

When Alden arrived at UMass Lowell to major in digital media, he quickly got involved with the Student Government Association. By the time he was a junior, he had been elected as UMass Lowell’s student representative to the UMass Board of Trustees – another first for an Arab American.

But inside, he didn’t always feel successful. And he began to realize that the competitive rough-and-tumble of politics wasn’t for him.

“I think politics is a hobby that got a little bit out of control,” he says. “I want change and I like advocating for people … but it’s not where my talents align.”

Where his talents did align was in the creativity of digital media, a major that gives students the skills and experience they need for careers in film, video, podcasting and digital communications.

As Alden focused on video directing and production, he decided to add classes in acting and directing in the Theatre Arts Program, a concentration within English. He blossomed.

In just one year, he acted in one staged reading, stage-managed another, and was assistant director on a play. When he took World Theatre with Professor Shelley Barish, who directs the Theatre Arts Program, he found the mentor he needed, and he decided to add theatre arts as a second major.

“Shelley told me, ‘You’re exactly who you are and where you want to be, and your idea of success doesn’t have to be the same as other people’s,’” he says. “I’d go to her for advice, and she’d be a compass.”

He also found other outlets for his advocacy. Since his sophomore year, he has served as a well-being leader for other students in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. He is also a peer coach in the Office of Disability Services. During the summers and school breaks, he works in camps for children.

Alden says “college is a process” of trial and error, ups and downs. But by committing himself fully, joining student organizations and connecting with faculty, he has found his passion for the creative and performing arts – and grown into a more authentic version of himself.

“You always make a plan, and you realize that you’re so different the next year,” says Alden, who will seek creative opportunities in acting, directing, media and communications after he graduates.

“I’m just so excited to see what next year brings.”