Student spotlight: Hazha Abdullah
The Warrington College of Business is full of standout alumni and students. No matter their program or major, their time on campus plays an important role in preparing for impactful careers. This series features exceptional people from across Warrington.
Learn more about what makes Hazha Abdullah, a student in the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program, a standout student at the Warrington College of Business.
Q: Where are you from originally?
Abdullah: “I am from Kurdistan, a Kurdish region in the northern part of Iraq.”
Q: What are your other degrees and from what school?
Abdullah: “I have a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a minor in business administration from The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.”
Q: When did you know you wanted to pursue a degree at Warrington, and why was it an interesting option for you?
Abdullah: “I wanted to pursue a graduate degree immediately after graduation in 2014. However, I intentionally started gathering different experiences from jobs in the real world until 2019 when I realized a shift in my area of specialty towards business is a necessity. Then, I applied to the Fulbright scholarship and achieved the grant to study at the University of Florida. I chose this university and degree due to the classes and opportunities that are offered, as well as the high rank and reputation it has.”
Q: What’s the highlight of your time at Warrington?
Abdullah: “The highlight of my time at Warrington is that I am continuously learning from my surroundings, each person I encounter has a unique life experience and learning from them is a pleasure. In addition, I am amazed by the amount of experience and resources each professor has in their respective fields. They always answer my questions.”
Q: How do you anticipate your MSE degree helping in your career?
Abdullah: “The variety of invaluable classes that I am taking will definitely help me establish my own business after graduation or even before. Moreover, these classes establish a foundation on which later I can build and step into international jobs that I have always wanted to such as international entrepreneurship or strategic management. Finally, they strengthen my management and leadership skills and teach me different techniques to adapt or pivot when necessary.”
Q: What can we find you doing outside class or on the weekends?
Abdullah: “I usually write short stories, draw or hang out with family and friends during the weekends. I dream of publishing these short stories one day or even make short movies out of them.”
Q: What’s a fact about you that might surprise other people?
Abdullah: “I never think about giving up. If I want something, nothing can stop me to achieve it.”
Q: If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?
Abdullah: “I will divide it into three portions: one third to establish my own business, the other portion to invest in real estate, and the last donate to charity.”
