Business College’s Career Support Prepares Graduate for Professional Growth

April 19, 2021 | Graduate News, News, UToday, Advancement, Alumni, Business and Innovation
By Kirk Baird



Since becoming a Rocket in the fall of 2017, Ahmad Farah, a dual major in the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, has learned a great deal about himself through his time at UToledo.

Beyond his experience with academics and on-campus events, Farah has been a college Pacemaker Award recipient and student worker in the Business Career Programs Office; served as president of Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity; and had a successful 2019 summer internship with Owens Corning that evolved into a post-graduation career opportunity.

Graduation Cap

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2021 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement.

And all of those experiences shaped his growth — not just as a student but in his personal development.

“They have allowed me adequate grounds to assess my own strengths and weaknesses,” Farah said, “and helped me focus on my strengths and gradually improve upon my weaknesses. After spending so much time in my comfort zone, I realized that this is the time to get out.”

Of course, part of university education is as much about learning what not to do as it is what to do.

Farah, who graduates on May 8 with bachelor’s degrees in information systems and management, has come to understand and appreciate that maxim. And offers that same advice to other students.

“If there is any time to give something a shot and fail, this would be the time: When there’s always people around you to help guide you to success; when the mistakes I make won’t result in a loss of revenue, or somebody losing their job, or anything along those lines.”

Not coincidentally, Farah’s first career position is the real-life application of his UToledo education — inside and outside of the classroom.

This summer, Farah will again join the Information Services Development Program at Owens Corning World Headquarters.

Farah

The program involves a trio of rotational assignments, with each lasting six months. Owens Corning describes the program as something that “enables members to discover their strengths and passions, and learn about OC’s businesses, customers and technology.”

Farah said this program and this job direction is “exactly the type of role I was searching for throughout completing my undergraduate degree. I will be placed in a learning environment that plays to my strengths and allows me to express myself as a young professional.”

And he credits his time in the Business Career Programs Office and the expertise, advice and guidance by its faculty members for getting him fully prepared for this opportunity.

“Being in this office for several years, I was able to get all the advice I could ever need for a successful early career,” Farah said. “The willingness of some professors to have meaningful conversations about goals has definitely been something that helped prepare me for this role.”

Dr. Terribeth Gordon-Moore, senior associate dean for undergraduate programs and administration and one of Farah’s professors, praised the soon-to-be-graduate.

“Ahmad is an outstanding young professional who has already demonstrated excellent leadership skills during his academic career,” Gordon-Moore said. “He is a confident and articulate individual who can critically think about issues and develop solutions. He will definitely be successful in his business career.”

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