AABP holds Spring 2021 Award Ceremony

The AABP instructors honored 41 of the program’s students for their academic excellence and participation in extracurricular activities.

The ceremony acknowledged students who made significant progress in their Bridge Program courses and increased their language proficiency as well as those who showed improvement in personal, academic and study skills were also recognized.

Five students were recognized for their outstanding participation in the Soliya Global Connect Express international exchange program. In addition, students received certificates for participating in community awareness events through their involvement in Friends of Cancer Patients Relay for Life online walking challenges. Students were also lauded for volunteering in community service activities organized through the Office of Student Affairs. Over the past year, the Bridge News Network show (BNN) has provided AABP students with a window to the rich opportunities available at AUS. The BNN guests also joined the ceremony while BNN crew members were recognized for their work in creating more than 20 successful shows this year.

Saud Al Hussaini, a senior SBA student and an AABP alum, was the motivational speaker at the ceremony. “Bridge is actually the best diving board for first year students. I am now getting to the end of my journey here at AUS. I just got accepted at a summer internship. The pandemic taught me to do what you can today, to manage your time well, and not to procrastinate. My advice to all Bridge students is: It will not get easy. So, reflect on your journey at Bridge, work hard, but be prepared to work even harder as you move forward. The Bridge program is a great bridge between high school and your major,” he said.

Fatma Al Kindi received the Achievement Academy Director’s Award for her academic accomplishments and active participation in university events. A future computer engineering major, Fatma was also declared the winner of the Academic Support Center Advanced Certificate for attending 10 ASC workshops.

“There is no such thing as an impossible task. If I can do it, so can you. I believe that if you work hard, you will be able to realize your goals. When you've completed the Bridge Program, you'll realize how valuable it is. The Bridge Program is aptly named since it is across this bridge that you will reach your goals and work towards your major,” she said.

Reem Alhadhrami, an international studies student and President of the AABP Club Spring 2021, said: “Through my position as President of the AABP Club, I practiced many skills that I learned in the Bridge Program, for example, the skill of time management. I am grateful to be a part of such a wonderful community. As I always say, I consider the bridge to be the safest place, which I will always return to, and the place where I feel comfortable and reassured.”

“It is always a pleasure to mark the end of the semester by recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of the Achievement Academy students. This semester’s online ceremony captured the genuine sense of community that the AABP student club officers, class representatives and student volunteers have worked tirelessly to build and sustain. Though we have been apart physically, we have shared in a transformative journey together through curricular and extracurricular activities” said Jessica March, Director of the Achievement Academy at AUS.

For more information about the Achievement Academy Bridge Program, and to read about its students’ successes, please visit www.aus.edu/achievement-academy/bridge-program.