Personal Life and Source of Inspiration
I am a student perusing a bachelor’s degree in computer information technology in the United States. Studying abroad required me to learn a few cultural aspects and languages to enhance my stay in the states. I am a native speaker of the Arabic language, but I also speak fluent English, which makes me a bilingual. In Saudi Arabia, schools are composed of students from various parts of the world. Therefore, English language is taught in school enhance communication between students with different backgrounds.
We had an international student in my class when I was in high school who was always so acquitted with the technological devices. We would spend most of our free time watching him handle various technological devices that were so hard for us to handle. The teachers loved him and always considered him to have a higher IQ level than the rest of us. Consequently, most international students had a better understanding of the technological world. As such, the international kids formed groups that everyone considered superior to any other group in the school. They did not allow us to play or hang out with them because they were busy making things that exceeded our abilities. Their ability to understand the world better than the rest of us gave them the power to bully and control us, regardless of how few they were in the school. I certainly become aware that technology gave people the power to control the world (Shoult 421). As such, I spent most of my free time learning and studied various technological schemes to prevent further exploitation by the technological gurus back in school.
My Interest and Values
I value family, friendship, and unity in the workplace. The family is the engine that runs individuals. The stronger the family ties, the higher the chances of an individual to succeed in life. My family is made of five people, my mother, father, and my two siblings. We always support one another in times of needs and we handle every challenge as a family. The unity of our family makes it possible for us to achieve greater success in life. Additionally, friendship offers comfort and encouragement in times of distress. On the other hand, I value Unity in the workplace. Teamwork and other levels of coordination in the workplace are necessary for the growth of the company and personal development (Hasman, Mowafa, and Mantas 48). As such, I always teach people how to develop cohesive teams and groups within an organization for a better future.
Accomplishments
I have worked with many organizations that deal with information technology and otherwise. Working with different firms gave me the access to the real world information technology and allowed me to impact my knowledge to the teams with which I worked. Consequently, I have helped organizations in building cohesive teams and enhancing unity within the organization. At the Saudi Arabian airline, I worked in the IT department where people only focused on their daily tasks. I took the initiate to promote personal relationships within the department by teaching my colleagues how to improve personal behavior in the business setting. In most cases, people do not relate to their fellow workers because they lack the right skills in that area (Hasman et al. 73). The workplace is supposed to be a professional place with less social activities. However, there are ways through which people can remain friendly and close yet professional. By the time I left the airlines IT department, people were more cohesive, which led to improved productivity of the department. Additionally, I have also achieved different professional experiences through education and working with varied groups of people in different organizations. In college, I always encourage people to work in groups because it prepares the students for the workplace situation that is currently focused on team building.
Significant People in My Life
My Brother
My brother is a very interesting person. He always sees the good in people. “Don’t ever give up on your dreams” is the statement that my elder brother always told us when we were growing up. As the first-born, he had to struggle for most of his achievements. My parents had my brother at a tender age and the kind of struggles that they went through at that time made my brother a very responsible person. My parents were always confident to leave us under his care when we were growing up and he would make sure that we lived well. Additionally, my brother values discipline and hard work. Education is quite important to him and he always encourages us to do the best in everything that we set out to do. His high expectation on every member of our family causes me to work hard. My brother understood my desire to study and apply technology abroad, and he supported my ideas. First, he helped me convince my parents to allow me to go abroad for my studies. He further supported me financially for the things that my parents were not able to provide. My brother took me to college and was always supportive every time I needed help. Every time I am in need some extra cash to carry out my extra curriculum activities, I always ask my elder brother, and he is always willing to help without scrutiny. I am very grateful of the role that my brother plays in my life, especially in my career life.
My Parents
My parents are incredible people, and they are the reason I am who I am today. Both my parents are working people back in Saudi Arabia. My father works with the government while my mother is a nurse. Regardless of their busy schedule, my parents always find time for the family. “Family will always be number one” is my mother’s favorite phrase. For instance, my mother did not leave us under the care of nannies or day cares while we were young. Rather, she put a pause to her career to bring us up. On the other hand, my father had to resume the duty of total provision for the ten years that my mother nursed the three of us. I am the second born in a family of three siblings, and my parents have been able to give us an ideal lifestyle. My father worked hard to ensure that his children had whatever they required in life. My mother, on the other hand, has managed to create unity within our family. My siblings and I assist one another in life, a trait that my parents instilled in us as we were growing up. The three of us have a quality education because my parents have a high value for education, and they allowed us to pursue our dreams at whatever cost. Although my parents provided a decent life to all of us, they also taught us how to work for our success. My family is my inspiration, and they always support my enthusiasm for information technology.
My Best Friend
My best friend Josh has been supportive of my ideas all along. We studied together back in Saudi Arabia. Back in Saudi Arabia, Josh and I were the only people who did not agree with the idea that people in Saudi Arabia could not achieve the same success as people in highly developed nations. Josh is not a technology person, but his passion is in the sciences. He is fascinated by the human anatomy, which led him to study medicine for purposes of enhancing healthy living in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Josh has an autistic brother who needs constant support, which inspired him to study medicine to help kids with similar conditions as his brother. His desire to help people who have health issues in Saudi Arabia inspired my idea of studying information technology for purposes of helping my people catch up with the rest of the world. Josh is hardworking and highly dedicated to everything that he sets out to do which makes him my best role model in life. He also got a scholarship to study in the United States, which allows us to keep in touch and assist one another at all times. We both value unity and teamwork within organizations, and we help one another in achieving cohesion at the places of work.
Experiences
The Saudi Arabian Airline
My experience in the Saudi Arabian Airline Information Technology Department was quite instrumental in my development. The airline gave me an opportunity to learn various things within the technology industry that are not always available to the public. The Saudi Arabian airline is one of the areas in the country where technology is highly valued. The airline uses technological mechanism to deliver services to its customers and interact with key stakeholders within the industry (Hasman et al. 145). The airline uses some sophisticated models of information technology that I did not know how to handle. The manager of the department was, however, willing to assist the new recruits in learning certain specifics within the industry. The challenge gave me the enthusiasm to seek for more training in the area of information technology in a highly qualified institution. Additionally, the institution gave me the opportunity to interact with different people from different localities. My relationship with these different individuals helped me to discover colleges and institutions that offer the best training in information technology. The airline has enough employees, which allows the staff personal time to enhance their skills and knowledge. As such, I was able to advance my studies and search for more information on things that I did not know in handling technological devices at the airline. Additionally, I used the free time to look for admission in colleges abroad that offer ideal computer information classes.
The JAVA Training Program
I took a JAVA training program, and the experience was awesome. The institution was quite different from other educational programs that I have attended. The gap between the professors and the learners is rather slim, which allows the students to interact one-on-one with the tutors. The slim gap between professors and the learner allowed me to interact with different professors, thus allowing me an opportunity to learn more about the topic. I once had coffee with a visiting professor from abroad who gave me more information on the JAVA topic. The meeting with this professor raised my curiosity to study in other nations where technology is highly advanced. The professor also provided me with different connections with various colleges that he considered helpful for my course. A close relationship with my professors and tutors helped me to understand different situations on which the JAVA program can be used. The college was a small one, which allowed students to have a close relationship with one another. In the information technology department, students in higher learning could help the new students get the necessary skills for the course. The communal kind of a relationship at the learning institution ensured that students got well equipped before leaving the college (Shoult 88).
High School in Saudi Arabia
Back in high school in Saudi Arabia, I had different experiences with my teachers who did not value the influence of technology on the society. In many developing countries, technology is seen as a distraction that limits the mental growth of young people. Consequently, parents and teachers view technology as a tool that destroys the moral values of the society. As such, teachers did not allow us to interact with technology as it is in other nations. At one instance, my friend Josh and I skipped classes to try to create a computer program. We wanted to compete with the international students who always thought we did not have the wit to handle technology. Our class teacher punished us thoroughly and summoned our parents to express his dissatisfaction with our habits. Back at home, I was grounded for a week, but that did not stop us from pursuing our desire to create a unique computer program. The idea that technology destroys the society prevented many students from seeing the use of the technological advancements in the economic realm (Hasman et al. 136). Such notions hinder developments in the developing nations. My desire to study information technology was to help in demystifying the notion that technology breeds bad morals within the society.
Workplace Experiences
Other than studying, I also work with different technology firms. The interaction with the workplace environment allows me to learn the challenges and issues that people in the real world experience in relation to technology. Understanding the challenges of this field helps me to have a focused study rather than the general learning that might not be of much help in the end. My experience in these institutions helps me to plan for issues that might arise as technology advances in the future. At other institutions, I teach employees on personal behavior that can enhance unity within the organization. The position allows me to understand various issues that hinder cohesion at the workplace thus improving my technical know-how in the matter. Helping people achieve ideal relationships at the workplace in the real world builds my personal abilities to coexist with different people in life (Shoult 301). For instance, one of the discoveries that I have come across in my short work experiences is that technology can help people achieve unity in the workplace through online communications. My desire is to come up with various ways that information technology can improve the conditions of work at the workplace.
Important Settings
The Saudi Arabian Learning Institutions: Geography and Topography
Saudi Arabia is a sub-Saharan nation with high temperatures and low rainfall conditions. The climatic conditions of the country interfere with the learning conditions. At some times, it is quite difficult for people to hold a lesson in a normal class setting. As such, education programs are carried out in varied locations of the land, allowing students to have a general experience of the topography. The relaxed mode of learning gives students the ability to engage in other activities in between classes. During my education times back at home, I was able to engage in various activities that helped develop my individualism and my skills in various situations. The appealing images of the geographical nature of the land in Saudi Arabia help in relaxing the mind (Shoult 71). This kind of a setting helped me to develop personal skills and behaviors that can help in creating an ideal workplace relationship. At school, teachers encourage students to study and carry out assignments in groups, thus enhancing the ability to work together. The country has many foreigners; therefore, the schools are composed of people from different ethnic groups. As such, I learned to interact with people from varied backgrounds at a tender age.
Life in the United States: Geography and Topography
On the other hand, life in my current college is quite different. The geographical and climatic conditions are rather different from those that I experienced while growing up. At my current location, the weather is a bit cold and rainy, which allows students to remain in the classrooms always. The security levels around the learning institutions are guaranteed here as opposed to the situation in Saudi Arabia. As such, the geographical conditions at my current location allow me to invest more time in my studies and in researching various issues around information technology.
Works Cited
Hasman, Arie, Mowafa Househ, and J Mantas. Integrating information technology and management for quality of care. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2014. Print.
Shoult, Anthony. Doing business with Saudi Arabia. London: Global Market Briefings, 2006. Print.