By Tracy Marie Wamarema<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH \u2013 Under the theme \u201cTogether We Rise,\u201d the American University of Sharjah hosted its annual alumni reunion on Jan. 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese reunion events showcase the students\u2019 lifelong bond to AUS,\u201d AUS Chancellor Dr. Tod Laursen said during his speech at the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That bond was reinforced through a new initiative introduced at the reunion. As part of the Alumni Engagement and Affinity Program, two alumni were awarded full sponsorships worth AED 200,000 to pursue a graduate program at AUS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That consideration was what drew graduates like Lara Dhin \u201825 to AUS in the first place. Having heard about its supportive atmosphere, Dhin chose the university before she chose her major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen choosing a university, you don\u2019t only choose it for studying,\u201d she said. \u201cYou choose it for the community, the atmosphere and how it\u2019s going to shape your life in the future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That same pull resonated with Dana Aamer \u201822 who struggled with leaving her family in Abu Dhabi to attend university in Sharjah. \u201cWhen I told my grandma I was coming to AUS, she got very emotional,\u201d said Aamer. \u201cShe watches the AUS reunion every year because she respects the university and His Highness Dr. Al Qasimi, so me going there was a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once on campus, the sense of community helped ease the homesickness. Aamer recalled her study abroad experience and the support she received from the International Exchange Office. Looking back, she added, \u201cAUS wasn\u2019t my first choice, but there\u2019s no other university I would\u2019ve gone to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dhin shared that sentiment saying that AUS not only met but exceeded her expectations, shaping her holistically. \u201cThey take your personality and raise it,\u201d she said. While pursuing her bachelor\u2019s in Civil Engineering, Dhin got hands-on experience organizing events and managing clubs. She developed skills that later proved valuable in her career as a project engineer at CDM Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That preparation for the professional world was a key factor for Yousef Morci \u201816 who worked on campus while pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering. \u201cIt helped build my character,\u201d he said. \u201cMy first job came from AUS.\u201d After working in the Admissions Office as a CRM Applications Expert, Morci went on to earn his MBA and now holds a similar role at the United Arab Emirates University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Aamer, it was the university\u2019s extensive network that led her to a career in Financial Planning and Analysis. She met her future employer through an event hosted by AUS. \u201cI was giving out ice cream when two representatives from L\u2019Or\u00e9al approached me,\u201d she recalled with a laugh. \u201cI jokingly told them to give me a job.\u201d A year later, she ran into the same representative, now the Human Resources Manager, who told her, \u201cI owe you a job.\u201d L\u2019Or\u00e9al is one of many companies that frequently recruit AUS graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen [employers] see you graduated from AUS it\u2019s a big point for them,\u201d said Dhin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While community and networking play a central role, the academic resources at the university remain a cornerstone of its impact. \u201cThey have high class computer labs and a lot of equipment and hardware that can be really useful,\u201d said Fatima Irfan \u201821, a Computer Engineering graduate. In her senior year she received a research fund to develop an interactive learning system. Now a senior software engineer at Etisalat, Irfan commends the university\u2019s career guidance programs saying that they \u201cprepare you for success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even after graduating, the connection to AUS remains strong. \u201cI left in June and if you ask me if I want to come back\u2013 yes,\u201d said Dhin. \u201cI\u2019m thinking of applying for a Ph.D. just to stay at AUS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her words reflected how alumni returned not out of obligation but a sense of belonging, highlighting the meaning behind \u201cTogether We Rise.\u201d For Rania Morsi, Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, that message is intentional. \u201cThe university is always opening its doors for you,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want you to always come back and celebrate your achievements with us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Tracy Marie Wamarema UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH \u2013 Under the theme \u201cTogether We Rise,\u201d the American University of Sharjah hosted its annual alumni reunion on Jan. 24. \u201cThese reunion events showcase the students\u2019 lifelong bond to AUS,\u201d AUS Chancellor Dr. Tod Laursen said during his speech at the event. That bond was reinforced through a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,79],"tags":[19,82,17],"class_list":{"0":"post-5496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-campus-news","8":"category-news","9":"tag-alumni","10":"tag-aus-campus","11":"tag-community"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcmmediahub.aus.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}