LIFE BEYOND
SAADIYAT
Class of 2020
The Class of 2020 had their degrees conferred between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Data are collected primarily via the First Destinations Survey, which remained open until December 31, 2020, per professional standards, as well as via advising data, faculty, LinkedIn, and other verifiable sources. Data are obtained on 274 out of 286 students, giving us a knowledge rate of 96%. The following data do not reflect 4% of graduates whose post-graduate outcome remains unknown.
Alia ElKattan graduated with a BSc, majoring in computer science, with minors in political science, sound and music computing, and interactive media. She is currently preparing for her move back to Abu Dhabi from Egypt, to start her job at McKinsey & Company as their junior digital analyst.
“Thereʹs so much pressure on finding out what you want to do forever. But in reality, the important thing is to find something that you enjoy.”
Brandon Chin Loy graduated with a BSc, majoring in computer engineering. Chin Loy is now working as a data analyst in a leading bank in Jamaica - his home country - while exploring postgraduate degrees to delve deeper into what he discovered to be his academic calling.
“Throughout my time at NYUAD, I gained research experience across a range of disciplines. I felt as though I lacked clarity and decisiveness when it came to my career because my experiences did not connect with each other. I was advised to shift my perspective and consider the knowledge and skills that I gained from the experiences. I was not only strengthening a common set of analytical and reasoning skills, but also expanding my overall skill set due to the multi-disciplinary nature of my background.”
Bernice delos Reyes graduated with a BA, majoring in social research and public policy and theater. Delos Reyes considered every option, from staying in the UAE to moving to Europe, to going back home. In those first few months, she cast a wide net in search of job opportunities, but it seemed like it was one dead end after another.
“We have a saying in Tagalog about drawing your plans in pencil. It’s a constant battle to not beat yourself up if those pencil marks don’t get traced with a permanent marker. There’s a reason why you sketch in pencil — because you can always erase and change.”
Delos Reyes has recently transitioned to a full time role as Communications Executive at Alserkal, a role that would allow her to merge her talent in communicating and passion for developing arts and culture.
NYU Abu Dhabi graduates are making an impact at nearly 100 organizations globally, including:
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi, UAE | Atlantic Media, Washington DC, US | Bain & Company, Tokyo, Japan | BBDO, Istanbul, Turkey | China Mobile International Dubai, UAE | Dalberg, New Delhi, India | Deloitte, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi, UAE | Estée Lauder Companies, Seoul, South Korea | Expo 2020, Dubai, UAE | FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation), Guadalajara, Mexico | Google, New York, US Bloomberg LP London, UK | JPMorgan Chase & Co., Miami, United States | Krimelte, Tallinn, Estonia | Milken Institute, Singapore, Singapore | Mubadala, Abu Dhabi, UAE | Pure Health, Abu Dhabi, UAE | Rock the Vote, Washington DC, United States | Roland Berger, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Sandooq Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, UAE | Smitten Worldwide, Srinagar, India | Solar Ship, Toronto, Canada | Synergy Hill & Knowlton, Seoul, Republic of Korea | Taleworlds, Ankara, Turkey | Tanzania National Roads Agency, Njombe, Tanzania | Wikifactory, Madrid, Spain
“NYUAD allowed me to lead initiatives on and off-campus with a varying range of resources. We also had an incredible faculty-student ratio that enabled deep and sustained mentorship. That mentorship and proximity with faculty ultimately translated in the proximity that I have today with artists, gallery owners and different mentors in the art scene. I was taught how to write about my work, my ideas, and my subjects of inquiry in a structured, research-driven and professional manner.”
Daniel Rey Rosas, Colombia - Contemporary Art and Cultural Strategy Advisor, Dirwaza Art Consultancy LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
“The Mentorship Program put me out there and forced me to engage with people that were much more senior than me, and so, I had to act professional, look professional, and just do a lot of things that I wasn’t necessarily ready for. If you develop a relationship with your managers, that network opens up to you and develops into referrals. I'm very keen on mentorship and I think that in a place like the UAE I would be able to get very good mentorship at a very early stage of my career.”
Gabriel Garcia Leyva, Cuba - Business Analyst, Accenture Ventures, Dubai, UAE
Amal Al Shamsi graduated with a major in literature and creative writing and a minor in social research and public policy studies. She is currently undergoing her graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh in literature and modernity.
“NYUAD always pushes you to figure those interests out, to take personal initiative, do your research, and find out why this area is interesting… If I had come from any other university, and I came into Master’s, I think I’d be kind of lost… I wouldn’t be able to forge my way by myself.”
Hoon Yoo graduated with a BA, majoring in economics. He is currently studying at Yale School of Management as a Silver Scholar. This program allowed him to pursue an MBA immediately after his graduation, complete an internship during his second year, and come back to Yale to finish his studies.
“I still miss NYUAD. Abu Dhabi is my second home. This might sound corny, but I miss the people in what I believe as one of the most diverse places on earth where diversity is celebrated.”
65% of NYUAD graduates pursuing further education were accepted to two or more programs.
Asian Institute of Technology, MSc, Water Engineering and Management | Cornell University, PhD, Applied Physics | ECAL - Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne, MAS, Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship | Georgetown University, MA, Arab Studies | Harvard University, JD, Law | Johns Hopkins University, MSc, Biomedical Engineering | London Business School, Masters, Financial Analysis | Loughborough University, MSc, Sport and Exercise Psychology | Northeastern University, PhD/JD, Law | Sciences Po, MA, International Security | Stanford University, MD, Medicine | The Graduate Institute - Geneva, PhD, International Relations / Political Science | The Juilliard School, MFA, Fine Arts | Yale University, MBA | University of California - Berkeley, PhD, Agricultural and Resource Economics | University of Cambridge, MSc, Genomic Medicine | Université de Lorraine, MSc, Decentralized Smart Energy Systems | University of Maryland College Park, PhD, Philosophy | University of Oxford, MSc, Child Development and Education | Vanderbilt University, PhD, Electrical Engineering
“Being naturally introverted and reserved, it was hard at first to take the first step in approaching new people, opportunities, or experiences. But continual practice and immersing myself in new environments at NYUAD through taking challenging classes, participating in exciting volunteering opportunities, and taking responsibilities in rewarding internships, I became better at dealing with experiences that were out of my comfort zone.”
Fatima Alaydaroos, UAE - PhD, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
“Having conversations, debates, and discussions with friends who bring different backgrounds and experiences to the table has been the most meaningful experience from my time at NYUAD.”
Ruth Gebremedhin, Ethiopia - PhD Electrical Engineering, NYU Tandon, New York, US
Life after graduation isn’t going quite as expected for Youssef Azzam an electrical engineering major from Egypt, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
At home in Cairo, Azzam is preparing for mandatory military service by taking time off to connect with family and friends, reflect on his accomplishments at NYUAD, and pursue his passion — music.
Noor Althehli graduated with a double major in visual arts and film and new media. She is now living and working as a freelance artist in her home city, Abu Dhabi.
“Everything mostly changed when I went to my first summer abroad in New York. That was the first time I traveled entirely by myself. Just me by myself with no one there. No plans. I didn’t even know where I was, what I was doing there for my classes… But I came back a whole new person.”
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