Internships are an important way for NYU Abu Dhabi students to gain practical, on-the-job experience. And sometimes, the most valuable part of an internship is learning what you don’t want to do.
Psychology major Hayat Jan Chavez, Class of 2022, always figured she was destined to be a counselor or therapist. Mental health is very close to her heart. An internship in Dubai in her third year inspired her to course-correct toward a future in the education system and eventually on a path to Harvard.
Major: Psychology
Home Country: UAE
Current: Harvard University, MEd, Human Development and Education
“I knew I was interested in mental health outcomes but realized I was more interested in interventions and programming for younger children and students,” she says. “It was a great experience because it led me to say, ‘this is not what I want to do’, which I think is just as valuable as knowing what you want to do.”
Chavez views these programs as an integral part of education. “The world is becoming more and more of a melting pot. Schools are the best place to implement these programs because you can integrate them into the curricula.”
I knew I was interested in mental health outcomes but realized I was more interested in interventions and programming for younger children and students. It was a great experience because it led me to say, ‘this is not what I want to do’, which I think is just as valuable as knowing what you want to do.
Chavez’s biggest source of inspiration at NYUAD was the professors. They pushed her to try new things, engage with them, and make the most of every opportunity. At NYUAD, small class sizes are the cherry on top.
“To have them at our disposal was such a joy. To have that easy interaction and access made my time at NYUAD and the classes worthwhile. They were really inspirational.”