Aimal Ahmadzai, MBA ’14, is an Afghan-American and an MBA candidate at American University’s Kogod School Business. The definition of a well rounded and hard working student, Ahmadzai challenges his peers to do as he does: engage in international issues, take electives outside their field of study and participate in service trips that could potentially open your eyes to a new world perspective.
Ahmadzai, who has a strong interest in emerging markets, has taken elective courses in American University’s School of International Service in addition to his core course load. He has also gone on a winter service trip to Israel and is now co-facilitating a Dialogue Development Group through the Office of Campus Life’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, titled “Islam in America.”“It’s good to be a more well-rounded person, not just a numbers guy, but to care about the personal side,” he said.
His discussion is comprised of a group of twelve participants on a seven-week discussion series about Muslim-American relations—multiple ethnicities and religious beliefs will represent this diverse group that will be comprised of undergraduates, graduates and one staff member. They will be discussing topics such as Islamaphobia, Gender Roles, and Assimilation, Coexistance and Integration.
Ahmadzai’s hopes that participants become a supportive community of peers, where the focus is on well-rounded debates meant to challenge big issues he believes are not properly represented.
“I think [participants] are going to get a lot of different perspectives, and hopefully for the better change their own, gaining a more broad understanding of the topic,” he said.
After graduation, Ahmadzai hopes to use his MBA in an anti-corruption or international development role, saying his international travel experiences have only furthered his interest in international affairs.
