As an actress, comedian, disability advocate and writer, Maysoon Zayid appears to embody many values of NYU Abu Dhabi’s liberal arts education. She has also managed to merge these skills and interests together into a stand-up comedy performance. Zayid performed at NYUAD’s Red Theater, first in Arabic on Sept. 13 and then in English on the following day. Her activities in the UAE were not constrained to the Arts Center — Zayed also visited Ajman University and gave a talk at the NYUAD Institute on Sept.12, dubbed Laughing at Life.

Zayid also visited two Core Curriculum classes on campus, Words and Laughter. These course names happen to be fitting descriptions of what Zayid does as a comedian. In Laughter, students asked Zayid about her craft and how her childhood and early adulthood led her to pursue her present-day career. Her enthusiasm and confidence for comedy were mostly sparked by her father’s words of encouragement as well as feedback she received during her studies at Arizona State University, encouraging her to believe in her ability to make other people laugh.

The writing process, however, is not an easy one, Zayid said. It took daily persistence and dedication for her to write her ideas down and turn reflections on her lived experiences into content that is ready for the stage. When one of the students asked Zayid for words of wisdom, she replied, “Humor and patience are two camels that will get you through any desert … I love camel analogies!”

On a more serious note, she admitted that various previous projects she worked on required a solid amount of patience to come to fruition. Humor and laughter were what actually guided her through some of the toughest times, such as the loss of her father.

Zayid’s Abu Dhabi debut was marked by sharing anecdotes related to the city. All of Zayid’s performances, however, start with the disclaimer that she has cerebral palsy, which in her English performance happened to be accompanied by a blurb of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Dressed according to local customs and styled by Studio XY, one of the businesses on campus, Zayid performed a mix of both relatable and unfamiliar stories. It was her way of engaging the audience members while also putting her own unique perspective before the public.

Charlotte Asifa, Class of 2018, was impressed by Zayid’s performance. She described the show as a funny, educational and inspirational work of art.

“Even though [Zayid] talked of her difficult circumstances in well-delivered jokes, she enabled the audience to admire her happy nature and envy her aura of confidence,” said Asifa.

With the NYUAD campus becoming increasingly mindful of the wide-ranging needs of its residents — particularly seen by the recent introduction of automatic doors — Zayid’s visit acted as a beacon of light for those with difficulties and disability. She brought attention to this matter in a graceful way.

Zayid’s accomplishments range from her role as co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and The Muslim Funny Fest, to appearances on various shows, such as the Oprah Winfrey Network show Deep Shift, 60 Minutes and ABC News. Her TED talk was ranked the most popular talk in 2014. She is currently developing a comedy series starring Cher, called If I Cancan.