If six years ago someone had told me that I would be
studying in an American university, I probably would not
have believed them! I am Moroccan and lived in Morocco until
my 18th birthday. After passing my Baccalauréat, I
went to Paris and studied political science in a French
preparatory school. During this time, my best friend was
studying at AUP and she offered to make an appointment for
me with an admissions counselor at the University. I went,
we talked, I was enthralled, and I stayed.
And today I am very happy and proud to have made that
choice.
AUP really gave me the opportunity to study what I was
interested in, to be who I really am, to feel confident, and
above all, AUP gave me the opportunity to express myself. If
I were to summarize AUP’s qualities in one phrase, I would
quote what a professor told us during my first semester: "I
will never tell you you’re wrong; I can disagree with you,
but I will always respect the expression of your opinion."
For me, at the time, this made an extraordinary impression
on me.
AUP is so multicultural that no student can feel ‘different’
– except maybe students like me who have only one
nationality! AUP is really a cosmopolitan university where
cultural differences transform into advantages. Its
multicultural environment and diversity are actually the
most important features of AUP’s human capital. Evolving in
this environment made me feel comfortable and helped me get
rid of my timidity. And socially, AUP is a microcosm of the
perfect society.
After I graduated from AUP, I worked as an intern in the
Côte d’Ivoire Delegation at UNESCO. This took place during
their General Conference period, so the workload was
considerable and I was not used to such a rhythm yet. But at
the end, I learned a lot from it, it was a challenging
experience, and I achieved my goals successfully. The
Ambassador was very satisfied with my work, especially when
the Delegation won seats in the Executive Council, because I
was in charge of organizing the electoral campaign!
I don’t have a professional life yet, but I know that –
after my experience at AUP – I could not work at a national
level. I have grown to be very keen on diversity and
multiculturalism and would like to work at the international
level and interact with as many cultures as possible. AUP
made me believe that individuals can change the world
through their personal contributions and involvement.
We are all citizens of the world, and the first values you
learn at AUP are tolerance and cultural curiosity. AUP would
be an excellent model for showing the world how vibrant a
community can be where all cultures coexist peacefully,
where there is real social harmony, and where all
communities form one entity: a family. Yes, because AUP is a
world family. Once we are part of it we can never forget it,
and when we are far away from it… we miss it a lot.
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