My Westford Journey

Looking back on this 4 year journey with Westford, it can be described as an opportunity I am forever grateful for. The experiences i have gained, the people i met, the lessons learned & the growth I have seen, are the results of these past 4 years. However, what good is any story without a beginning?

Joining College

COVID-19 was a shock to everyone. Plans were changed, the world was in lockdown & joining university was something completely alien to all. For myself, I was at a crossroads, I wanted to find a place to help me study the courses I wanted to pursue & like the college life as seen on the silver screen. Finding that combination in the era of Zoom classes was difficult but a conversation with a friend of mine changed everything.

If a university can transform a student's confidence through the process & provide a top-class education from a well-respected university, then it should be something to consider. Additionally, there was the benefit of joining the Toastmasters club as well, an organization that works to build not only your public speaking skills but your leadership & overall growth as individuals.

On August 24th, 2020, I made the trip to Westford University with my mother & upon walking through the doors & seeing this building, we both knew that this was the place to be. My parents told me one thing, "Make an impact wherever you go & we will always support you". My journey at Westford had begun.

Right from the get-go. We had our first contest, the AUS Model Congress, a prestigious debate contest where we would be competing against both universities & schools from across the region. With Zoom classes, forming a team was initially a challenge but we had students volunteer & be ready to take part in what was their first contest post-high school & for others their first contest ever.

With the late-night discussions, mentorship from the faculty, & support from our peers, Westford University qualified for the semi-finals with a group of first years. That was one of my proudest moments as a leader & I was awarded best delegate for my performance.

EEG

The Emirates Environmental Group public speaking contest is one of the biggest speaking competitions across the GCC & given the opportunity to participate was special. The university believed in my speaking abilities & skills that I could bring to my team. Now the team was of my seniors in college & they were people I learned a lot from. How to navigate on stage, how to conduct research & express myself effectively to get the points across.

The time spent with them & my mentor Miss Sakeena Mohammad was so valuable looking back, as it laid the foundation for whatever came after. How to lead a team, practice managing & develop a problem solution that a thousand other people are talking about while trying to be unique about it.

The days spent in that contest taught me a lot & gave me my first memories of what college could be like. The trips to campus, the bus ride to the venue, the nervousness leading up to our presentation, the excitement leading to the results, & lastly the joy when we heard Westford University College – Overall Second Place Winner 2020”. Those were the moments I cherish the most.

Toastmasters

Surely we aren’t the masters of toast? Is that a career to consider once university is done, maybe. Now was that not a captivating hook to grab the audience's attention? That was a skill I developed over the countless speeches, table topics, and evaluations I had to preside over during my time as a member of the Westford University Toastmasters Club.

In 2020, our first meeting back after the pandemic, the EEG team came together with Miss Sakeena & decided that our plan of action was to revive the Toastmasters Club & make it the best there is.

I had the responsibility of the secretary in my first year & Vice President of Membership in my second. Both taught me how to conduct meetings, network with students to introduce Toastmasters to them & ensure that the meeting went smoothly.

One of the highlights of my time as an excom member was during the first badgeing ceremony where our CEO Mr Hanil presented me with the badge & said “Make this club proud!”.

Through the many competitions we went through, the key moments were the club contests, the area, the division & DTAC. It was here that I could truly test my capabilities as a speaker for the first time against seasoned veterans from across the globe.

As my third year was reaching its conclusion, a new initiative was formed & that was having the Gavels Club. A public speaking platform for children & being assigned as one of the mentors was new but it is a role I cherish with my co mentors Rosalyn Flory Sahil D. Reyha Rao .

Additionally, what made the journey in Toastmasters sweeter was being elected in as the youngest Area Director of the newly formed District 127. Representing Westford on the global platform was the least I could do for the support they provided to me.

Being the President of the Student Council 2022-23

“Wish it, plan it, do it!” During this university journey, there was one goal that I had been wanting to accomplish, be it more like a tick off the bucket list of things you would want to accomplish before graduating. That was being the president of the student body.

Upon announcing the upcoming elections, I decided that this would be the year where I stood for the position of president. My goal was the ensure that every student who comes through the doors of this university can truly experience the opportunities & benefits that are presented. Moreover, it was also to raise the levels of expectation for the students to challenge themselves & create a desire to win rather than just compete in the competitions we are part of.

June 29th, 2022 was the day of the elections It is Fair to say, that the goal resonated with everyone there & with the guidance of Mr. Hanil & his team, I was elected to lead the college as its president of the student body on all campuses.

Throughout my tenure as president, I am proud to say, that we competed in more competitions than before, ensured new participation from across all batches, represented the university in various events across the country & lastly got the students to believe & strive to be the best.

At the end of the tenure, the crowning moment was being able to present the president’s speech at the 2023 La Resisuitee. Being able to address my peers, the faculty, the guests, my parents & everyone watching me & supporting me online, was an indescribable feeling.

For all the opportunities, mentorship, lessons, and experiences, the journey had finally reached its end & to quote a piece from the speech “Dreams without actions are just goals”. This was the moment to shoot for the stars & make the mark I knew I was capable of.

The MBA Journey Forward

As I move forward on the next chapter of my academics, pursuing a Master's in Marketing Intelligence and Big Data, I hold dear the lessons learned and memories made during my time at Westford.

In retrospect, my Westford journey is more than just academia, it was a journey of personal growth, leadership evolution, and unwavering resilience. I can’t wait to see what the future holds