Michelle Adams
MA Political Science, went through Intensive Arabic program | 2009
Worked for several years for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) in Washington DC. Now works for the US Department of State.
Not only did I learn a great amount of the language in a short period of time, I believe that taking Arabic classes made me a more attractive job applicant in what was a difficult job market at the time.
Studying Arabic at the University of Arkansas overall was a positive and rewarding experience for me. Not only did I learn a great amount of the language in a short period of time, I believe that taking Arabic classes made me a more attractive job applicant in what was a difficult job market at the time. When I applied to work for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) in Washington DC, the President and Vice President seemed very interested that I had an Arabic language background. I was hired to work as the Customer Service Representative where I greeted customers from the UAE, Egyptian, Syrian, and Libyan Embassies.
Two and a half years later, I started working for the US Department of State. My current position involves providing assistance to overseas schools to improve their safety and security. My Branch Chief has encouraged me to conduct site visits at local schools in the Middle East where I can utilize my Arabic language skills. I highly recommend taking Arabic classes with Ustadha Paula and Ustadh Adnan. Had I not graduated and moved, I would have really enjoyed and benefited from continuing taking lessons from them both. "