An American college student studying at the University of Alexandria in Egypt who returned to Miami Tuesday night is urging Americans to support the Egyptian people’s uprising.
And Amanda Labora is thanking her Egyptian friends for saving her life as thugs and police inflicted violence in the streets around her apartment.
Labora, 21, is a graduate of Miami's MAST Academy and attends Brown University. She’d been studying abroad but never expected a learning experience like the last two weeks.
She came home to hugs and smiles and yellow flowers Tuesday at Miami International Airport as her friends and family, including her mom, Miami-Dade County Judge Deborah White-Labora, met her at the international terminal.
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"I'm so happy to see my beautiful daughter back,” says Judge White-Labora, “And I’m so proud of her."
"I'm so thankful to the Egyptian people. They're the reason I made it here safely today," Amanda Labora said. "They protected me when nobody else could or would.
“And I really hope that all of you out there are thinking about them and supporting them in their request for a legitimate government,” she said. “So, I - really - I owe my life to them.”
Amanda's photos show just how close she was to the chaos. She constantly feared for her safety from police and thugs but never, she says, from regular Egyptians.
“We're kind of a liability as American students," she said.
She says the Egyptian people need encouragement from the American people for seeking democracy.
"And it's just a time of beauty for the Egyptian people because they're really coming together in the face of adversity. And protecting each other," she said. "And their bravery is just astounding the me.
"I didn't even feel safe when I saw the plane! It wasn't until I actually...we were actually in the air that I said ‘ok, we're going to be ok. We're getting out.'”
Amanda's mom concedes witnessing a revolution was not what they had in mind when Amanda went abroad to study. But now that she's safe they'll look back and say “it was a great thing.
“There's been good and bad in this. And I think on the balance probably good now that we're through it and she's here,” White-Labora said. “I think it was definitely a learning experience and that’s what this was all about. It wasn't the learning experience we were planning on.”
Judge White-Labora said of her daughter, "I think we're all looking at someone who's going to accomplish great things."
"Oh, wow. That's embarassing!" snapped Amanda before TV cameras.
"But it's true!” said her mom, “It's true."
Amanda says she wants to take a hot bath and sleep. Then try to find out whether her Egyptian friends – those who protected her - are safe.
