Abdullah Al-Awadhi, a 21-year old Global Management student from Arizona State University completes his internship at American International University, Kuwait. 

In this interview, Abdullah talks about his hands-on learning experience and his key takeaways from the duration of his internship.  

Q. Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Abdulla Al-Awadhi, I am 21 years old, and I am majoring in Global Management with the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. 

Q. What made you choose AIU and how has your experience here been so far? 

The main reason I chose to apply for an internship with AIU was not only that it is a new university, but also that the university’s mission is to offer an authentic American experience in the Middle East. After seeing the campus and meeting some of the staff, I knew I would have a great summer learning and growing from this experience.  

The experience so far has been quite amazing. The staff welcomed me with open arms and were quite hospitable and eager put my skills to the test.  

Q. What projects have you been involved in? 

I have been involved in quite a few projects which is a phenomenal thing as an intern. At most companies, interns don’t get to be quite as hands-on with their experiences as I have. To name a few, I was involved in the setup and logistics of company housing projects and played an integral role in the onboarding of overseas staff. I was also involved in the development of a mentorship program for new overseas hires at AIU.  

I curated analytical reports for the Marketing Department in which I utilized skills and tools I had learned in my most recent courses at ASU. These aided the team in visualizing trends and demographics across their communication channels.

Q. Do you think your time here helped develop you professionally? 

I would definitely say that my time interning at AIU helped me develop professionally. The opportunities I was afforded allowed me to test my skills not only in the knowledge of courses I had taken but also allowed me to forge and sharpen my critical thinking skills. Being able to work in the HR and Marketing departments showed me what I am truly capable of. The experience also highlighted areas and skills that I can grow and develop. 

Q. What was your key takeaway from this internship? 

My key takeaway from this internship is that I made mistakes and will continue to make them, however, AIU showed me that it is definitely okay to make mistakes or have hiccups but I need to learn from them. I learned I need to analyze where I went wrong or what I could do differently for a better outcome. Knowing that mistakes are part of the process and that you can learn from them is a valuable lesson that many my age need to understand, especially in today's world of social media where all you see are peoples’ success and not how they got there, with all the mistakes they made along the journey. 

Q. Would you recommend students pursue an internship? Why so? 

I would absolutely encourage students to pursue internships. The earlier the better. Not only are you seeing what you could do in your future, but it also allows you to build your resume and gain crucial work experience that many companies are looking for. Internships are also a fantastic way for one to possibly learn that an alternative field of work might be better suited for them.