VCU alumna Reham Mohamed Aleid is a path-breaker. The Saudi student came to Qatar in 2003 to study interior design at VCUQatar. In 2004, she was one of the first students to join the exchange program to study at the home campus in Richmond, Virginia. Shortly thereafter she transferred permanently to VCU Richmond, becoming the first transfer student from VCUarts Qatar.

While pursuing her BFA in Interior Design at VCU Richmond, Reham worked as assistant interior designer to the Saudi-based AlEid group, a family-owned business. After graduating in 2007, she went on to pursue a double Masters in Architecture and Planning and Urban Design from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. During her studies, she worked as an architect and interior designer at Barr International Architects in Washington, D.C. After she graduated in May 2010, she returned to Qatar and began to work as an architect with Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB), one of the top 15 ranked firms in the gulf region.

Recently, Reham joined Q.Media as project manager architect, managing their buildings and branches. With Q.Media now moving their offices into two new buildings, the Al Fardan and Al Jazeera Towers, Reham designed a total of nine floors in both towers to accommodate all departments. “It was an extraordinary experience having to deal with so many different aspects, not just design. It was a challenge to meet all the requirements, stay within a certain budget and deliver within a short period of time.” Reham had to work closely with the IT department, MEP consultants, design consultants, government entities besides various other departments and offices. She admits that despite its challenges, this is a project she would proudly highlight in her CV and portfolio because of what it encompassed.

Reham credits her stay in the US for affecting her in many positive ways. “It changed my perspective in life, gave me a chance to pursue my goals and added immeasurable value to ‘me’ through the years. I found the US to be a place that empowers you, fills you with confidence and self-esteem to create a still ground where dreams can grow.” After having lived and worked in the US for several years, Reham agrees Doha is a very different experience. She’s still in the process of adapting to this new system, “which can sometimes get really hard but I believe that out of the greatest efforts come the greatest gifts. Each day I go to work I want to make a difference. Being here is just another step in ‘building myself’ towards the next level, a Ph.D.,” says the architect whose future plans and hopes also include teaching at VCUarts Qatar to build her academic portfolio. For now, those plans have to wait, as Reham immerses herself in the world of architecture and creates new landscapes in Qatar.