Maha Hafez Witherington, was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1956. She met her future husband in her hometown, Alexandria, in 1988. They married a year later and moved to the US. She was 34 years old when she moved to the US, and has been living in the US for 34 years. 

She attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School of Alexandria, Egypt, and earned her high school diploma in 1974. She then joined the Faculty of Arts in Alexandria, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature in 1978.

Maha met Phillip, her husband in Alexandria, Egypt during his diplomatic assignment with the US Embassy. They dated for nine months and decided to get married in June 1989. “What motivated me to move is Phillip and the mutual understanding and respect we had for each other. I cannot say I met any challenges as I was left equipped with a diverse background, amazing education, languages, many travels abroad, experiences of faith and self-confidence.” 

As an extremely diverse person, as she describes herself, Maha celebrates all Egyptian festivities and maintains her culture and background, which she practiced for 34 years in her homeland before moving to the US. 

Maha has three kids, two daughters and a son, Kanzy 44, Sherwet 41 and Joseph 34. All three reside in the USA. They all earned their college degree, Kanzy works for Deloitte HQ in Austin, Texas as an Executive Assistant to the CEO, Sherwet is a lawyer in Washington DC and Joe is a Senior IT at the Austin, Texas International Airport. “My oldest speaks good Arabic, the middle fair while Joe’s is poor. Maha is proud of her three amazing kids who all love sports, soccer, American football and baseball.” 

Maha doesn’t believe she did anything special for her kids to become proud of their Egyptian heritage. “They know very well about their Egyptian background and they do respect it along with the other half which is American. I never forced anything on them and left them to choose for themselves,” she explains.  

She believes it is important to maintain the Egyptian identity and heritage up to a certain point. She tries to visit home often as she can to see her family and friends as they all reside in Egypt. Her last visit was in April 2024, and she had “a fantastic time.”  Her family also comes to see her but only for a visit, “no one was interested in becoming a citizen of the USA.” Maha also celebrates Egyptian holidays, and cooks Egyptian food. “I am a good cook and love to entertain.” And “of course I watch [Egyptian TV]”, Maha says. 

And until today, when she sees the Egyptian flag, or hear the Egyptian anthem, she is reminded of her school days in Alexandria, Egypt. 

Maha feels proud of her upbringing and owes it to both her parents. The education she received in Egypt equipped her to face many obstacles. Upon coming to the USA, she was well-prepared and has since worked continuously to improve herself through education and empowering others.

In the USA, she faced some cultural challenges, stereotypes and misconceptions about Egyptian women, but her strong personality, self-confidence and diverse background enabled her to overcome such petties and made her rise above any challenges. 

Maha has been working for the federal government since 1988, interacting daily with people from all walks of life. This priceless opportunity and her passion to learn about different cultures have enabled her to have the most amazing experiences anyone could ask for.

She is most proud of raising three kids, supporting a husband who constantly moved from one continent to another, and stepping up in her career as a civil servant since moving to the USA. “I always say that immigration is the same but the ways and reasons are different. In my case I married a citizen of the USA, I was mature enough to make the decision to move and was equipped with faith, self-confidence and education which enabled me to excel as the opportunities were varied and I did not let them go to waste.” 

The advice she gives other Egyptian women who are considering moving to the USA is to think well before making such a decision – living in a different culture is not for everyone. Know why you want to move and how you will make a positive impact in the new society and environment you will live in. This is your new home so make the best out of it. “I wish they all act as ambassadors to their background and culture and represent themselves as lawful citizens of the USA. I know many and I am very proud of their impact and accomplishments.”