Here I am, less than 6 months away from graduation, and I can proudly say that choosing BYU MBA program was the best decision I could have made 15 months ago. My decision to attend BYU raised many questions among my family and friends. Their concerns were multifaceted, but they all revolved around one question: Why would you attend BYU when you are not LDS? There were concerns about the religious and cultural differences, my ability to fit in, to form friendships and ultimately to integrate into the BYU family.
While I did not have an answer to this question 15 months ago, I had faith. Today, in looking back at what has been one of the most challenging, yet the most successful years of my life, I can say that the BYU family is behind my success story.
1. I had help. I was given all the tools necessary to succeed. The staff, professors and classmates cared about my success and provided me with the support to perform at my best. In countless occasions, students offered, unsolicited, to help me with my resumes, interviews, assignments, etc.
2. I had inspiration. I was surrounded by hard-working men and women, who were both my competition and my daily inspiration. I was inspired by the drive and determination of my classmates, who, for the most part, not only juggled schoolwork and internship search but also family responsibilities.
3. I had faith. While BYU is an LDS institution, it is an institution where anyone can freely live his or her faith. I have been able to live my religion and share my culture with very accepting colleagues. Religion has not been a differentiator but rather a way of bridging differences, learning from each other and growing as an individual.
The fact of the matter is that while the religious and cultural differences were initially a concern of mine, those differences fueled deep conversations and dialogues, which drove my integration into the BYU family.
-Thamina Sbai, Marketing, Class of 2011
Interned at: L'Oreal USA
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