News >Access 16 Career Day

On February 25th and March 3rd, 2024, half of the 500 Access Cohort 16 (2022-2024) students, and the other half, respectively converged from all around Lebanon on the campuses of the Lebanese American University (LAU), Byblos, and Beirut, for the Career Day event which marks the last step of their personal development under the Access Program. 

The days kicked off with the national anthems of Lebanon and the USA followed by welcoming remarks from the Access team, and keynotes by U.S. Embassy representatives. Mr. CJ Aragon, the Public Diplomacy Officer for Public Engagement did the honors on February 25th, and Mr. Matthew Goshko, the Acting Public Affairs Officer, on March 3rd. The first date featured the attendance of Ms. Edith Bitar, the US Embassy's English Language Coordinator-Public Diplomacy as well.

An orientation session was then held by LAU, into the US-funded scholarships that are in store for the students, reinforced after by a segment on opportunity hunting by one of TFL's Access Education Mentors. The Access students later rotated in pre-selected groups into 30-minute career guidance sessions given by professionals in many fields such as Public Health and Healthcare, Business, AI, Engineering and Architecture, Social Sciences, Medicine, Law, and Sciences. Many Access alums coached those sessions for added inspiration to the current Access students. 

Each of the two dates had some special features, though. February 25th saw the US Embassy's CJ Aragon giving an inspirational segment bearing on his own experience in entrepreneurship pre-his diplomatic career, and March 3rd witnessed a lively interaction by the US Embassy's Matthew Goshko with the students, much to their motivation and pride. Also, the second date featured Access Cohort 15 alumnus Mustapha Baroudi delivering a talk on how the Program equipped him to earn a scholarship to study chemistry at LAU, and Jihane Charafeddine, Access Cohort 10 alumna, sharing how the Program empowered her to fulfill her dream of enrolling at AUB on a scholarship and obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, which opened her doors for making a local impact and reinforcing her skills through funded travel opportunities on workshops abroad. 

Below are some testimonials from the students: 

“The career day was meticulously planned and organized where each room was staffed by knowledgeable professionals who shared their experiences, qualifications and job responsibilities. It was an exceptional experience providing us with wealth of information and motivation to pursue our education.”

Amany Zeineddine - Access 16 Teacher at Hammana Public School – Mount Lebanon

“The Career Day was wonderful. brimming with valuable information and scholarship opportunities. It was well organized, allowing us to explore the specialties we were interested in. The selection was excellent, and the catering was delightful. Many thanks for providing us with this enriching experience and a memorable day.”

Amer Ghalyoun - Access 16 Student at Marjayoun High School – South Lebanon

“I had the privilege of attending the Career Day hosted by the Access Program at LAU Byblos, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. The mentors who guided the sessions were truly exceptional, igniting my passion for my chosen field even further. The Opportunity Hunting and Scholarships segment was particularly insightful, as it provided valuable information for someone like me who is eager to pursue various programs for self-development.”

Sirine Haidar – Access 16 Student at Andre Nahhas Public High School – North Lebanon