Shahid Shamshu, Graduate Student at Texas A&M University and Former IXO Peer Advisor

Shahid Shamshu

Shahid Shamshu is our former Peer Advisor who graduated from AUS in Spring 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Since then, he has become a graduate student at Texas A&M University, TX, USA. According to Shahid, his Fall 2012 study abroad has helped him in his graduate school application, in professional settings, and in his personal life.

Shahid studied abroad at North Carolina State University, NC, USA, and this experience helped him develop mentally and personally: “Having grown up in the Middle East and not really travelled much earlier, my study abroad experience left a huge impact on my personal life. It was a major step outside my comfort zone and exposed me to people from different cultures. This really helped me explore my independence, develop a broader mindset and increase my confidence."

His study abroad has also helped him in interviews. "Having a study abroad experience on my LinkedIn/résumé has always been a great conversation starter in a lot of professional settings like interviews or networking events," he said. "People are always interested in learning more about your study abroad experience."

Additionally, Shahid gained professional skills from his study abroad. "I think some of the skills that my employer values that I’ve gained from my study abroad experience would be the ability to work well in a team setting with different people from different backgrounds."

Another pro of his study abroad was having it on his résumé when he applied for graduate school: "I do believe it gave my graduate school application a push towards the right direction and it definitely took up a good chunk of my statement of purpose in the application."

"I think the biggest and most significant gain [from my study abroad] would be the exposure to different people and cultures, which in turn makes a person more open-minded," he said. "Additionally, it is a huge step out of one's comfort zone, which is very essential for the growth of a person on all fronts."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

Leontia D'Silva, AUS Alumna and Digital Marketing Executive at Wasl Group

Leontia D'Silva

Leontia D'Silva is an AUS management information systems alumna who studied abroad at Montana State University, MT, USA, in Spring 2017. She worked at our office as a Peer Advisor until her graduation in 2018, and today, she is the Digital Executive of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Wasl Asset Management Group, Dubai. Leontia's study abroad allowed her to leave her comfort zone, learn about herself, and develop useful skills that continue to benefit her years after graduation.

Leontia says her study abroad experience broadened her horizons. "It taught me how to be independent and how to take responsibility. It taught me how to deal with a lot of internal emotions that I’d never experienced before. I'd always lived with my parents before that, so the exchange program was an overall great experience for me."

"There are a lot of things you can gain from a study abroad experience, but I think the most significant gain would be just getting to know yourself better," she said. "In [the UAE], you're in your comfort zone, and you’re doing everything according to that. When you go abroad to study, everything is different and you adapt yourself to all of these new situations. You get to learn a lot about yourself while handling these situations."

Since studying abroad, Leontia feels more confident to travel by herself. "I think I can confidently take up going anywhere and just live on my own. Since I could go to Montana, I could probably go anywhere," she said.

She says the biggest skill she developed while she was abroad was networking: "I obviously had no friends [in Montana]. I didn't know anyone so I had to talk to people, get to know them, and figure out who I wanted to hang out with."

The courses Leontia took abroad also helped her develop herself more. "I took a World Cultures course there, and that taught me a lot about world history and how that has affected our modern lives," she said. "I think that was one of the things that has really helped me after I graduated."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist