Education takes UC student from immigrant to global citizen

“You have to go through adventure to achieve the dream,” says Rana Faisal Raad, mother of Lindner College of Business student Alrashid “Rash” Abdelwahed. And he, along with his two older brothers, Amir and Kamal, carries that adventurous spirit with him.

The operations management major has overcome great odds to land where he is now; set to graduate in fall 2019, Abdelwahed has taken advantage of all the learning opportunities presented to him, from multiple co-op rotations to study abroad. His experiences are part of UC’s commitment to Co-op 2.0 and experience-based learning, key facets of Next Lives Here, UC’s strategic direction.

However, Abdelwahed’s exchange semester at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong proved to be one of his most eye-opening experiences. “I arrived and just looked up,” he said. “These 100-story buildings — endless. You just look up and wonder.”

During his studies, Abdelwahed found himself the odd man out. Unlike other exchange students, he took upper-level maritime courses, learning topics like air transport logistics. Out of the 30 people enrolled, he was the only non-native student.

“I picked Asia because it’s the furthest away from home, so completely out of my comfort zone. I don’t know the language,” explains Abdelwahed. “And with my major being operations management, I knew Hong Kong was the place to be for operations and logistics.” And yet, in a world so far from home, he still managed to find reminders of Cincinnati. From running into a former high school classmate on the street to being randomly assigned a UC roommate, Abdelwahed was able to find his footing in the large metropolis.

Abdelwahed says his biggest highlight, academically, was an exclusive tour of DHL’s airport headquarters in Hong Kong. Through UC professor Catalin Macarie’s connections, Abdelwahed was able to join a group of students from Louisiana State University’s MBA program as they made their way through the headquarters and viewed the company’s fleet of air carriers and machines processing almost 10,000 packages per minute. The experience, he says, was invaluable.

Abdelwahed was thankful for the support he received from UC International throughout his study abroad experience. A couple of weeks into the semester, Hong Kong was hit with a level 10 typhoon — the strongest ever to hit the city. Study abroad advisor Crystal Craycraft, who had helped Abdelwahed through his application process, immediately reached out to ask if he was safe.

He was, and went on to have more once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including trying new foods, motorbiking across Vietnam, and spending ten days in the northern jungles of Thailand. After graduation, Abdelwahed plans to return to Hong Kong or China to work in the logistics or international shipping industry. He credits the United States, UC and his mother’s adventurous attitude for helping him achieve his dreams.

“If it weren’t for being in the United States, none of these opportunities would have been presented to me,” Abdelwahed said in a speech to UC International strategy group members at a year-end celebration. “I am thankful to my mother, because I would not be here today if it weren’t for all her sacrifices and determination to make a better life for my family. I am thankful to my brother Kamal for pushing me to attend UC and become the person I am today. And finally, I am most grateful to the United States for opening its borders and allowing me to become a citizen.”