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Courtenay Griffin

After his first year as an undergraduate in the Faculty of Business Administration, fall graduate Shoaib Ansari went back to his hometown in Saudi Arabia for the summer.

There, he happened across a job ad to be a campus tour guide with ������Ƶ’s Student Experience Office.

He decided to apply and says it was one of the best decisions he has ever made.

“When I first came here, my biggest challenge was making friends,” he said. “I’ve always been more on the introverted side, so in my first year I didn’t really meet anyone new.”

Mr. Ansari chose ������Ƶ University because it was affordable, and he knew some friends from home, which would help the transition.

“I’m also really interested in entrepreneurship and hope to start a business here in the near future.” — Shoaib Ansari

But he was eager for more.

Once he applied to be a campus tour guide, the experience helped him come out of his shell and connect with people from all over.

Paying it forward

He started volunteering, then got more involved in Student Life as a student leader and eventually worked at the Student Experience Office for two summers.

“It helped me grow tremendously and gave me the opportunity to help new students with the same challenges I faced when I first arrived,” he said. “It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at ������Ƶ, and it’s given me some of my best memories and closest friends.”

Mr. Ansari will graduate on Oct. 16 with a bachelor of business administration degree and a minor in computer science.

He will cross the stage at ������Ƶ’s convocation ceremony at 3 p.m.

After graduation, he plans to stay in Newfoundland and Labrador and pursue work in project management, as a start.

Beyond that, the sky is the limit, he says.

“I’m also really interested in entrepreneurship and hope to start a business here in the near future.”