By John Sande

Last week, the Admissions Office held a virtual career talk with students from Abaarso School of Science and Technology, based in in Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland. Abaarso is a premier 7th-12th grade co-ed boarding school that is changing lives and helping to rebuild a nation. The School believes in nurturing the academic, intellectual and character development of promising Somali boys and girls so that they can effectively and ethically advance their society as the leaders of tomorrow.

The session was carried out as part of the initiatives that the Admissions department is deploying in its efforts to market the University to students in their last year of high school, including providing career advice to attendees, clarifying queries about the university and its processes and strengthening existing relationships with high schools.

The session was attended by 20 participants, all of whom were eager to acquire information on transitioning into university, including programs offered at USIU-Africa, admission criteria, student diversity, career options and prospects, scholarships, internships, among many others.

On board to encourage the students was Mohamed Abdilahi Mohamed, popularly known as Suubiye, a holder of a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree, Class of 2018. Suubiye is currently working at Abaarso as a teacher, and was at hand to share his USIU-Africa experience with the students.

“In addition to giving you the correct tools and knowledge to succeed in the world, USIU-Africa also provides you with the opportunity to be part of a diverse student body, drawn from all over the world. Being a student at USIU-Africa and interacting with all these diverse people made me better prepared for life in the real world,” he said.

“USIU-Africa also helped me to maximize my post-university opportunities while still at school. Through the Career Placement Office and the connections to our alumni network, I was able to quickly find my way around my career of choice after graduation,” he added.

At the end of the session, the students were taken through a virtual campus tour, which allowed them to get a feel of the University’s world class facilities, which many of them reported looking forward to experiencing in person once schools opened. The questions and answers session was very engaging and participants had their various queries on school operations responded to.