Dreaming big

Emirati national Amerah Abdullah Al Dahmani hopes to clinch the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship that she has been nominated for this year. Amelia Naidoo chats with the Dubai Women's College graduate.

Why did you decide to compete for the Fulbright scholarship?

It was always my dream to study in the US and once I read about the Fulbright Scholarship via email from my instructor Dr Nasser Nasseri, I looked at their website and decided to apply for the scholarship.

What will you gain from an American education as opposed to a local education?

Studying abroad will positively enrich my career. It will reflect positively on my resume and will increase my chances of employment with international and multinational organisations.

I want to study abroad in order to communicate with different cultures and to create a pool of informed citizens with a developed ability. I want to speak and understand other languages and communicate freely with people of various cultures in order to understand them and their personalities.

Besides, international study will help us as students to develop a better perspective on world affairs and understand the depth and breadth of differences that abound in the global community. Also, studying abroad will place me in the role of being a "personal ambassador" for my country, the UAE.

Through this role, I will be in a position to promote an understanding of my country's interests in the global community and I will learn from other students' countries.

What major will you pursue if you get the scholarship?

I would like to increase my understanding in the fields of international business and politics. My core objective is to do a Master's of Business Administration (MBA).

Which universities would you like to study in?

I have chosen four universities that offer excellent MBA programmes — Harvard Business School, Indiana University, University of Michigan and the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Any tips to write good essays for scholarship applications?

- Demonstrate your objectives and ambitions.

- Convince the reader of the skills that you have by giving real-life examples either from work or experience or your personal life.

- Describe your achievements as well as explain your leadership skills and your participation in these achievements.

What did you write in your scholarship essay; how did you try to convince admissions officers that you were the best candidate?

Actually I just wrote about my ambition and my dream in life. I have written about my real-life experience and about my achievements individually or as a group either at college or at work. I also wrote about my role as a team leader and what I added or changed and developed through my contribution at work, life as well as at college. I also wrote about the subject I want to study in graduate school and why, and how this degree will affect me and my country positively.

What other scholarships have you won?

To date I have only applied for the Fulbright Scholarship.

Have you been involved in many extracurricular activities and leadership roles?

Actually I have attended many training courses that speak about leadership skills and roles and I'm always seeking to gain new knowledge by participating in training courses, workshops etc. In fact I'm always placed in the position of a team leader in group projects. I believe that I have the capacity to reflect and learn from mistakes. Before taking any decisions I look at all options and consult with those who make good decisions. I make sure that my decisions are fair.

My role when I come back to my country is to be a bridge builder between the Americans and people of the UAE. I want to be in a leading position in my country, where I can make changes in areas where they are necessary and do things better. I want to work with people from diverse backgrounds and share my research with government researchers in order to contribute to the progress and development of the UAE.

Fact file

Name: Amerah Abdullah Al Dahmani
College: Dubai Women's College
Degree: Bachelor of Information Management
Nationality: Emirati
Claim to fame: Amerah is one of six Fulbright Scholarship nominees this year

— For more information on Fullbright Scholarship visit foreign.fulbrightonline.org