Knight-Henessy Helps Students Pursue Graduate Studies

By: Eman Kharoshah

@emanmagdyk

Two AUC students were chosen from 4424 students across the world for graduate studies at Stanford University in Canada as members of the 2019 Knight-Henessy Scholars Program.

Political Science and Multimedia Journalism Senior Serage Amatory and Computer Engineering and Electronics and Communications Engineering alumna Radwa Hamed will enroll at Stanford next fall.

AUC is the only university in the Middle East which has representatives in this year’s cohort of the Knight-Henessy Scholars Program.

The program is an international graduate-level scholarship program for study in Stanford University that was founded in 2016.

It provides full funding for any graduate degree and has additional opportunities for leadership training, mentorship and experiential learning across multiple disciplines.

“It is so overwhelming, but it is more of envisioning a lifetime ahead of you,” Amatory said.

“No matter what type of student you are, the concept of it being the most competitive scholarship in the world scares and intimidates you,” he added.

Amatory turned to the Career Center at AUC (CAPS) for guidance and mentorship throughout the application process.

The application process takes a long time, however, and students are encouraged to begin their inquiries early to determine their eligibility.

Caroline Nassar, a senior career advisor at CAPS, explained that one of the main challenges students face after graduation is “last minute” planning, which is often too late.

To help students with their applications, CAPS hosts a graduate study fair EVERY September, which includes round table discussions, presentations from  representatives of universities from all around the world to explain the application process, funding opportunities and the program itself.

CAPS also prepares students for their graduate studies by conducting two workshops in the Spring and Fall semesters; “Personal statement” and “Conquer the application process”. It also follows up with students by appointments throughout the whole process.

Knight-Henessy also offers students seminars, talks and training to enhance the student experience, in addition to program funding.

“It is a very intensive program on the academic and personal level,” Nassar added.

Alumna Hamed finds that the Knight-Henessy provides a holistic experience for students.

“[The program] provides us with all the needed resources; not only financial, [but] also with mentors who serve great positions around the world, and integrate us with their network,” Haned told The Caravan.

“They even provide us with the chance to travel across [borders] to serve a community in need. I encourage every person to believe in themselves; sometimes the universe aligns out of nowhere just so you can take one step,” Hamed told The Caravan.