Experience

My Journey at LAU

Jad Mounayer ’22

During my four years as an undergraduate, I was member of several clubs and took part in numerous events such as trivia, hikes, camps, dance lessons, music jam sessions and movie nights, among others, which helped me bond with students from different majors.

Using LAU’s connections, I got accepted for an internship in India and an exchange program in Italy. Even though I had to miss both due to the pandemic, I am still grateful to the university for having made these international opportunities accessible.

LAU staff members are very helpful, and the services available to students exceptional. Even though I was French-educated, the transition to the American system went smoothly thanks to their assistance. Students are also very friendly and supportive, as were my professors who were not only knowledgeable but also kind and professional.

Now that I am leaving LAU with tears in my eyes, I can confidently say that LAU helped me build up my CV. I had completed a research paper that is under review for publication, tutored other students, joined the Honors Program, and took part in a lot of local and international extracurricular activities.

This got me accepted at the University of Oxford, Imperial College, L’Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, the Erasmus Master’s Program in both Italy and Germany,  and Politecnico di Milano.

Today, I leave LAU to pursue a research project with a team in France.

Lastly, I would like to say that before joining LAU, I had been accepted in France for a bachelor’s degree. But I decided to stay in Lebanon to be near family and friends. This was the best decision I ever made. It is great to travel and leave everything behind to achieve your dreams, but it is significantly better to realize those dreams while staying close to your parents and families and studying at LAU.

LAU isn’t simply a university; it is a home. And I am lucky that I have been able to spend the last four years there!