Nicolla Hewitt
Saudi Gazette
Starting university is one of life’s defining moments. Most students will leave their home they grew up in, and for some once they graduate with their degree in hand, they will move to a new city to start a new job and make a new home for themselves. It is one of the biggest transitions teenagers and young adults experience.
For tens of thousands of students from Saudi Arabia who are part of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program which provides free education to thousands of students from the Kingdom to study in leading universities around the world, that move can seem daunting. As a new student, it means getting adjusted to a new environment, new home and a new culture. But thanks to Sara Al-Rumikhani of Jeddah, concerns about some of these things for the over 30,000 Saudi students studying in the United States just got a little easier as she has started an organization called “Generations for Generations.”
Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Sara, who graduated from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania said, “Generations for Generations is team of volunteers who believe in self-empowerment and virtue of advance planning. We are current professionals and previous scholarship recipients who have all studied abroad. So we present these programs from our own experiences, and our commitment stems from our responsibility toward society.”
Sara Al-Rumikhani and her team of volunteers, who have graduated in the United States, return to Saudi Arabia with their diplomas in hand. Then they set up first hand educational seminars about their experiences in the United States, which enable scholarships recipients to strategically plan for their educational journey. For people who have not traveled abroad before, simple things like finding out things about daily living in their new city or college campus, and cultural exchanges within and outside of university campus can make a huge difference.
In her interview with Saudi Gazette, Sara said the goal of “Generations for Generation” is simple: “To provide education of value to traveling students before, during and after their scholarships, while at the same time being proactive in learning and social exchange in world’s best universities.”
Realizing the power of the web and social media, Sara and her team have also recorded a YouTube video about how to prepare and self-apply for US college admission, accompanied with a step by step guide.
Sara and her “Generations for Generations” team have conducted 10 successful events for potential new students moving to the United States; 5 in Jeddah, 4 in Riyadh, and one in Dammam. Giving back to others is also something that Sara and her team want to encourage. So promoting an ongoing culture of volunteerism in the community while in the United States, and on their return to Saudi Arabia is important to them.
One of those volunteering at “Generations for Generations” is Sultan A. Asghar. Sultan, who graduated from the University of Hartford in Connecticut and now works at IT Operations at SAMBA Bank told Saudi Gazette, “I want to be a good example for others. What I learned during my studies in the United States was never wait for a pay back on my good deeds.”
Another volunteer, Luai Khalid Jan, who graduated from Oklahoma City University with a master’s degree in International Business & Marketing, told Saudi Gazette, that being part of “Generations for Generations” ensures that the next group of students who go to study in the United States will, “Have a good experience, and know how important volunteer work is to our community. I also want them to know that on a personal side, never to give up. Never stop believing in your dreams, and in your goals.” Laui, who is now working as a brand manager at the United Sugar Company in Jeddah added, “The idea of giving back is not new to us because it is part of our Islamic religion. However, in the US I practiced more which gave me the opportunity to send the right message of Islam to US citizens.”
As they look ahead to achieving their goals in 2016, Sara Al-Rumikhani told Saudi Gazette: “Our main objective is to keep pace with demand. We have got the resources, the skills, the enthusiasm, and most importantly the great reputation we have built and trust we have gained.” Some of those objectives also include what you do once you graduate in the United States and decide to come back to work in Saudi Arabia. So next year, “Generations for Generations” will include free seminars and workshops on: strategic planning for job searches, guidance on writing a CV, how to start your own business and how to bridge the gap between theory and practice. If the success of these workshops and the enthusiasm of Sara and her team at “Generations for Generations” is anything to go by, the future looks really bright for students in the Kingdom preparing to come to the United States to study, and for those who are going back.
