The ISBLI 2020 experience sharpened my leadership skills and provided me with the tools I need to continue working on building bridges of understanding between people.

I was born in the US, started school in Georgia, and with my family moved to Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia for my middle and high school years. I returned to the US to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. I am a Muslim, Palestinian, Jordanian, American who had the privilege of experiencing different cultures growing up.

When I heard about ISBLI, I knew that this program is going to be of high quality, and will be of great value and benefit to me and my community. With my background in Civil Engineering, I have strong mathematical and scientific knowledge/skills. However, my job also requires that I communicate with stakeholders clearly and effectively, and to have good emotional intelligence when dealing with contractors. While I still don’t have much experience in public speaking, thanks to ISBLI I now have the essential skills needed for one-on-one conversations and for presenting to an audience.

The ISBLI 2020 experience sharpened my leadership skills and provided me with the tools I need to continue working on building bridges of understanding between people. Both the ISBLI presentation sessions and ISBLI group project were filled with valuable gems in leadership. Whether it was about Personal Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Business Communication, or any of the other sessions, they all have honed my leadership skills and abilities in their respective topics. The group project also gave me the experience of working with team members giving us the space to apply what we learned from the ISBLI sessions.

ISBLI taught me about personal leadership and the importance of being mindful and creative when faced with a difficult situation. Completing the program has given me the tools I need to be an effective leader in almost any setting.