Jihad "Gigi" Karrat

Jihad Karrat, better known as Gigi, is a freshman who is majoring in Integrated Media and Strategic Communications with a minor in Theater. She comes from a unique background and has an interesting story that you may not expect by looking at her.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Gigi grew up in the Netherlands in the city of Amsterdam. She grew up without a father due to unfortunate circumstances, as it was not healthy to have him around. Her mother and father divorced when she was six months old, and part of it was due to her health and safety. She grew up with her mother and her mother's family, which included her mother, five brothers, and Gigi's maternal grandparents. It was in a small apartment in the Netherlands.

When Gigi was 24, she reunited with her abusive father as his last wish was to see her. She traveled to Morocco to fulfill his last wish to see her as he was on his deathbed. He was suffering from a brain hemorrhage/stroke. She knew this would be the last time she would meet her father; they did not have a real chance to talk as he was close to paralyzed at this point. Through this visit, she was exposed to several family members on her father's side that she never knew existed. She met her half-brothers and sisters and her two stepmothers. She found out one of her stepmothers who had divorced her father, was a Dutch woman who had converted to Islam and continues to live with her father's family in Morocco. Gigi felt that finding her family she had never known about was interesting as they were very similar to her. She feels that these are her true family members. Gigi explained the day after she left to go back home from visiting her father, was the day he passed away. She knew that in the end, she had to put the past aside and allow herself to meet the family she was never exposed to growing up. She is now 30 and has been living in the United States since she got married two years ago.

Gigi has a more complex story that I hope to share in the future as her story is unique. I would highly recommend talking to her and getting to know her better.


- Isabel C. Merriman