AUC: A Small Version of the World
Diversity, creativity, innovation and civic engagement are some of the characteristics that distinguish AUC from other universities, and they are traits that surely shape the students’ characters to prepare them well after graduation.
Youmna Ahmed El Sherbiny, integrated marketing communications sophomore with a minor in psychology, is the recipient of the Moataz Al Alfi Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 1998 by the vice chairman of AUC's Board of Trustees, Moataz Al Alfi, to support an Egyptian undergraduate student enrolled in marketing communication courses. El Sherbiny is the kind of character that hates routine and always likes to think outside the box. She is actively engaged in extracurricular activities on campus and has a passion for giving back to the community. This is the kind of student AUC attracts — one who has the potential to make a difference and initiate change.
An academically outstanding student, El Sherbiny has been placed on the Dean’s Honor List and was a member in the Cairo International Model Arab League (CIMAL) and has participated as a fundraising member in the International Conference on Global Economy (ICGE). “I picked those activities because they were the most beneficial as I gained a lot from them, and contributed to them too. I was beneficial for me to listen to CIMAL sessions and understand how politics work and attend meetings with marketing managers to finalize a deal for ICGE.”
El Sherbiny chose to major in marketing because it was always her passion: “It is the whole idea of thinking out-of-the-box, yet being able to reach the consumers’ minds. Creativity impresses me as it is not fixed and this works for me because I am a person who likes change and innovation.”
El Sherbiny’s favorite experience at AUC was participating in the first-ever Community Day in Spring 2014. “At the time, I was taking a community-based psychology course where we did research about the strengths and weaknesses of the AUC campus. Consequently, we had to work to improve the negative aspects and maintain the positives. I am a psychology minor and I have always hoped to be part of a non-governmental organization, which serves the community and works closely with them, so doing this project was fulfilling to me. I am always in touch with my professors to see if there are any conferences to attend or if I can contribute in any way, like I did in a conference in Palestine last June,” she shares.
El Sherbiny believes that “although AUCians mostly come from similar backgrounds, coming across various talks and chats every day, I now understand that the diversity at AUC represents the world outside. I don’t only mean the mentalities but also peoples’ different preferences and attitudes, which requires understanding. Also, being exposed to different mindsets, in group projects for example, enables us to see who we will meet later in the workforce.”
El Sherbiny utilizes the myriad opportunities provided to her through the Moataz Al Alfi Endowed Scholarship to prepare herself for a successful and innovative marketing career. “I am thankful for being chosen among a number of students to receive such a scholarship. This scholarship gave me more energy to put toward my studies and work as it made me feel that all the hard work paid off. To me, this is very much related to psychology; if someone is always praised for his or her good work, then you are giving him or her the space to give more and be productive. Thank you Mr. Al Alfi for supporting me psychologically and financially.”
