Taking a deep dive

As her time at AUS comes to an end, Egyptian student Engy Mikhail is satisfied that she gave it all she had. Mikhail was the recipient of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education Scholarship, achieving outstanding academic results graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In addition to her academic success, she also took deep dive into life as an AUSer, working as a research assistant, leading the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), representing the AUS Leopards on the women’s soccer team, volunteering in community service initiatives to help underprivileged families in Sharjah, and even participating as a delegate in the Model United Nations (MUN) and Model Congress. 

“I believe I had a very unique and inclusive experience at AUS. I was always everywhere, always keeping myself busy. The thing I most appreciate about my experience is the balance I had between my academics and my social life. While I am a very conscientious student and I take my education very seriously, I am also very outgoing and I love being around people and making new friends and connections. While this balance was not easy and caused me many sleepless nights, it is what kept me going through AUS and really enriched my experience,” she said.

For Mikhail, some of the moments she holds dear as she reflects on her time at AUS include her quiet study sessions in the library after a hectic day of classes, socializing and football practice; the mad-dash around campus between activities, carrying her laptop and notebook; and the  

ASCE Sports Day where students got to play and compete with AUS faculty.

For Mikhail, her involvement in ASCE was one of the best experiences of her life. Earlier in her studies, she served as sports and events coordinator, but it was in her senior year when she was elected president that she was really able to shine. 

“Being the president in my senior year really shaped my personality as I was responsible for leading a very diverse team of 10 people, each with a different personality and different role. I also got to expand my connections to several professionals from the industry and we were able to hold events and webinars with companies such as EMAAR,CSCEC, ALEC, RTA and Structural,” she said.

Under her leadership, the group also coordinated its first-ever virtual regional ASCE competition in the UAE, involving participants from several universities from across the country. 

“This was a milestone for the student chapters in UAE as it brought us all together when we were first faced with the COVID situation, which hindered our activities. But that did not stop us,” she said. 

After graduation, Mikhail is ready for another deep dive—this time into her career.

“I am really looking forward to giving it the same dedication I had given my undergraduate studies. I also hope to pursue my master’s degree a few years down the line,” she said.