Zeina Abouelazm is a dual major in emergency managment and management communication. She has been selected as class representative to speak during NDSU commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 15 in the Fargodome.
Zeina Abouelazm has a heartfelt message for her fellow graduates: NDSU has helped set the stage for success.
Abouelazm, who has a dual major in emergency management and management communication, has been selected as class representative to speak during NDSU commencement ceremonies, scheduled for Saturday, May 15, in the Fargodome.
She will give her talk at the 10 a.m. event for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Engineering; College of Human Sciences and Education; and Interdisciplinary Studies.
“My speech is a genuine and honest reflection of my experience at NDSU and the Fargo-Moorhead community – how the Bison experience helped me and the other graduates become the people we are today and the key factors that truly make NDSU a school worth showing off,” said Abouelazm, who grew up in Cairo, Egypt.
She’ll tell her classmates that they should be proud of what they achieved, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Graduating from an institution like NDSU is a major accomplishment,” she said. “While our time at NDSU might have not went as we expected, the graduates showcased the true definition of resiliency, persistence, advocacy, hard work and community. I’ll tell them to always remember where they come from and to aim high.”
Abouelazm was a highly active and involved student during her time on campus, serving as a resident assistant, campus service representative for the Emergency Management Student Association, president of the American Red Cross Club, philanthropy chair for the National Blue Key Honor Society, president of the Arab Student Association and event planner for the International Student Association.
She also excelled academically, earning such honors as the IAEM Robert Bohlmann Scholarship for Service in Emergency Management, Communication Department Scholarship, George A. Youngs Jr. Emergency Management Scholarship, DEMNDSU Community Service Award, Lorraine Murphy Global Diversity Scholarship and Academic and Cultural Sharing Scholarship.
In addition, Abouelazm had four nternship experiences while at NDSU, including one at the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services. She also was a career mentor at the NDSU Career and Advising Center.
“The community at NDSU is incomparable,” she said. “Coming from a metropolitan city like Cairo, I did not realize the beauty of being able to walk across campus and have people wave at you or greet you with a simple ‘good morning,’ or the warmth of walking to the Minard Hall coffee shop just to chat with your favorite barista about how the semester is going.”
Abouelazm commended the efforts of NDSU faculty and staff, lauding their support, mentorship and flexibility.
“My time at NDSU allowed me to make connections and friends that were the closest thing I will ever have to a second family,” Abouelazm said. “I would unhesitatingly recommend NDSU to all prospective students for its perfect student-faculty ratio, world class research opportunities, engaging student activities and professional growth opportunities provided by the various departments.”
In August, Abouelazm will continue her education at American University, Washington, D.C., where she will pursue her master’s degree in international development and work as a graduate assistant in the School of International Services.
She is the daughter of Mostafa Abouelazm and Mona Sherif.
