Experience

My Journey at LAU

Sebastian Bechara’ 22

When I first set foot at LAU, I was motivated to figure out where my passion lies to grow on a personal level. Five years later, I look back at my journey with pride, as I managed to graduate with high distinction in addition to taking part in several extracurricular activities. During this time, I learned how to manage my time efficiently, as well as how to work in teams and generate the best possible outcome we tackled on a group or individual level. I wouldn’t say that I am currently a different man, but I have surely grown, and I am ready to take on bigger responsibilities post-graduation. I have been exposed to different environments and cultures, which I believe have set the tone for me to be able to tackle any situation I would face in my professional career.

During my journey at LAU, I seized every opportunity that I felt would help me grow as an individual. First, I had the chance to participate in the Model United Nations simulation programs in which I was a trainer to students from all over the country, teaching them the art of public speaking, debating, and negotiating. Being a part of these programs also allowed me to be a dais member of the General Assembly 4 during LAU’s Global Classrooms International in New York in 2018, in addition to being a delegate and winning an honorable mention award in the 28th Harvard World Model United Nations in Madrid in 2019.

Other extracurriculars that were among the highlights of my academic journey include my role as the president of the LAU 180 Degrees Consulting Club in which we managed to complete projects for nine NGOs across Lebanon. We also had the chance to collaborate with the COVID-19 Student Response Network (CSRN) to aid Lebanese NGOs following the events that occurred in the country.

Moreover, in 2021, my peers and I took part in the Fourth LAU Case Competition in which we won first place in the Leo Burnett case, and we were finalists in two other cases. In that same year, I was also elected as the student representative for all industrial engineering students enrolled at LAU and took the role of the secretary of the Student Affairs Committee for the School of Engineering. Finally, my journey ended on a high note as I was awarded the Torch Award at the School of Engineering for the graduating class of 2022.

Following my graduation, I decided that I still needed to figure out what I was truly passionate about as the field of industrial engineering has a wide scope of work. That said, I was eager to start working and gather experience from the fields I was interested in before proceeding and specializing in a specific one. Thus, I started my professional career at Murex, working as a test consultant in the Asset Management team of the Quality Assurance Department. My end goal is to never stop learning and growing because an investment in oneself and knowledge always yields the best returns.