Ahmed Abuzant
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Year: Senior |
What about Augustana stood out during your college search?
Their willingness to help. Many colleges offered their financial aid packages, but Augustana’s offer seemed like they really wanted me. Augustana has been really successful at increasing the diversity on campus with students from Asia to South America and Europe.
What clubs do you belong to on campus?
- Augustana Engineering and Physics Society
- Muslim Student Association
What are your hobbies or interests?
Soccer, piano, technology enthusiast, building stuff
Which classes have been your favorites?
Archery, piano, and any class pertaining to electronics
How have you changed since you came to Augustana?
It is no hidden truth that I have changed drastically since I came here in 2009 as an international student. The cultural shock that I had to adapt to, combined with staying here over multiple summers, has almost changed me into an average American student. Some of my friends tell me that I do not look like I’m from the Middle East anymore, which I think is funny but somewhat true.
What would surprise your friends from home about you now?
The way I look probably! It has been over two years since I saw anyone from home, and when I Skype friends, they tell me I look different.
Describe a memorable class (or experience) and what you learned from it.
Archery with coach Fred Whiteside was probably the most memorable class I had here. It taught me how to have better self-control and it was a great way to vent during finals week and midterms. It was part of a learning community regarding Religions of East Asia, so I had a great interest in learning about them and was blown away with what I learned.
What campus jobs have you had at Augustana?
- Information Technology Services — Technician
- Office of Student Activities/Multicultural Programming Board — Tredway House Supervisor
- Centennial Hall — Studio Trainee
- Westerlin Dining Services — Worker
- Augustana Physics Department — Research Assistant, Student Proctor/Tutor
How would you describe campus life?
Fun, Eventful, Overwhelming sometimes, but definitely worth every second you spend on campus. The secret is to not be confused or shy; try everything you wanted to try, and be out there and make your voice be heard.
Can you tell us more about your internship/study abroad experience?
My current internship/job has been the most climactic event in my life. I managed to acquire it though Augustana’s ProFair thanks to the great efforts of the AugieHub and the Community Engagement Center. The CEC helped me develop my character and bring out the best of my job experiences on my résumé. Then ProFair was where I met AVG, my company. To be completely honest, I didn’t expect that I was going to be hired by them. They were like a last chance for me. Ironically however, the company I had most interest in didn’t even call me back for an interview while AVG called me a couple of times. Ever since I started working here, my knowledge about electronics and such has increased drastically. That is very beneficial to me since I’m planning on apply for an electrical engineering master’s degree at big schools such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and I’m pretty sure the experience would give me a boost ahead of other applicants!
