Graduate Yasmine Tahan, Head of the English department at Al Ain American School, Member of the OET examination committee at the Higher College of Technology in Dubai, and a Visual Artist
Yasmin Tahan is a graduate of Al Ain University, holds a professional Postgraduate Diploma in teaching English 2020, is head of the English department at Al Ain American School, and a member of the OET examination committee at the Higher College of Technology in Dubai. She is a visual artist awarded the Golden Residency in the United Arab Emirates for the creative category of people of art and culture. In an interview with the alumni office about her career and career development, she said: "I was honored to receive a graduate diploma in teaching from Al Ain University three years ago, where I decided to join Al Ain University after my younger sister completed her pharmacy studies and graduated with honors from the University. My decision also came after working at the University for two years in IELTS training and my sense of familiarity with the place and its closeness to my heart, in addition to my great confidence in the quality of the academic experience provided by the University. As I have a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Aleppo, my first choice for the teaching profession stemmed from my desire to leave a positive imprint on future generations. I started my work as a nursery school teacher for three years, as these years were a prelude to building a close relationship with my students and putting me on the right path to gain more experience and knowledge and learn about the advantages and challenges of the teaching profession. Then I moved to another school and started a different kind of journey with middle and high school students, which was at the core of my work and University specialization. From there, I graduated functionally until I was promoted to the position of head of the English department. On the other hand, I have honed my other academic skills in training adults and non-native speakers to use the English language, including training individuals to skip standard English exams such as IELTS and others. This is in addition to my artistic career, which was the source of my passion and inspiration to see education from a different perspective. ".
On the reason for choosing her major and her future ambitions, she said: "After the promotion I received in my job and due to my desire to develop myself and my art professionally, I felt the need to hone my management skills and learn new professional skills, which prompted me to get a master in management to allow me to see things from a different perspective. I am excited to study for a master's degree. I would like to submit a study or research that contributes to the development of human resources management or provide a management model for the development of Arab and National Human Resources in line with Arab identity, time management, and excellence."
On how her studies at Al Ain University supported her career, she said: "A postgraduate diploma in teaching helped me to get a teaching license, as it was a prerequisite for obtaining it. The specialization subjects also contributed to opening new horizons for me by sharing my practical experience with other teachers from various other schools and striving to enable the best educational practices that support the UAE's educational process and vision. "
About her volunteer and community participation, she said: "Volunteering was one of the most important pillars of English language projects with my students, where I chose topics that address humanitarian and social issues, and the students' work varied from volunteering to holding dialogue seminars or conducting field visits and making video reports on points related to projects to support the idea of the project and link the resulting work to the local community and voluntary and humanitarian work. ."
In her opinion about the graduate's role towards the University and his role in community service, she said: "I believe that every graduate should contribute to facilitating the choice of specialties for those who wish to register later by volunteering to provide technical support or advice to anyone who wishes to join a particular specialty."
On how to organize time between her work, personal, health, and cultural life, she said: "Time management is considered the Golden Key and the official sponsor of any achievement a person wants to achieve in this life, and it is necessary to slow down and study the steps well before making decisions that affect an individual's personal life significantly by studying the circumstances surrounding this topic and the extent of their direct impact on his life and future ambitions. "
About her achievements and awards, she said: "I was chosen in 2014 as the best school by the Middle East Education magazine, as well as many achievements and artistic interviews on TV screens and newspapers in the artistic field. "
As for the pillars on which the student or graduate should be based, she said: "The student should study his personality and desires and clearly define his future desires to be able to choose the appropriate specialty for him that will support his professional and scientific passion. The graduate should also withstand the pressures of work in the early years to be able to gain sufficient experience that will later qualify him for better opportunities and further develop himself. Both of them should work hard and develop their skills continuously at various levels and fields and realize that people's need for him increases with the increase of their knowledge and experience and decreases with its decrease. "
In conclusion, Yasmin Tahan addressed a final speech to the university graduates, saying: "I wish success to all graduates and I would like to encourage them to activate the idea of volunteering for new students, even by receiving some phone calls from time to time. She added that I would like to express my deep gratitude to the university administration, alumni offices, finance, and registration for their outstanding efforts in supporting students, meeting their needs, and contributing to the development of the University. Your dedication and keenness to provide a distinguished learning environment contribute greatly to achieving success and academic excellence for students and reflect your commitment to raising the level of education and community service. Thank you for everything you offer, and look forward to further achievements and progress under your wise leadership."