Your Excellency Archbishop Youssef Bechara,
Rector Father Richard Abou Moussa,
Distinguished Guests,
Graduates,
Good evening!
It is an honor to stand in front of you on this special occasion. Thank you
Fr. Richard and Mr. Semaan for granting me the opportunity to present the keynote speech on behalf of the Alumni at our dear school.
Class of 2009,
Seventeen years ago I was in your position, having mixed feelings of happiness and sadness, excitement and worries. I was happy to start an exciting new phase in my life, and at the same time, I was sad to leave my schoolmates and anxious about the future…
Where did I go from here? What impact did SJS have on me? How did my education and experience shape me up?
Please let me provide you with an overview.
I am Roula Anis Akl.
Married to Joseph Yammouny, mother of 2 wonderful kids, Carl and Perla, students at SJS too.
Currently the Recruiting Manager for Booz & Company in the ME region.
Holder of the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation from SHRM, an internationally renowned organization.
Also holder of a BBA, Accounting & Finance major from Lebanese University.
I joined SJS in 1990 to study for the Scientific Secondary Classes as I was initially planning to become a doctor or a pharmacist. But then, I decided to shift into a business related degree, something more practical and less hectic, I thought…
My three years at SJS were an enriching experience, both academically and personally. I had joined the class of A-students some of which you might know or might have heard of: Danielle Tarraf, Raja Ghanem, Rony Abou Jaoudeh, Bassem Mourani, Walid Haddad, and others. I still remember the fierce competition for the first rank among these top students including myself. I also remember our field trips, football tournaments, group outings, and other fun activities. I bonded quickly with my closest friends: Danielle, Joyce and Nancy – God rest her soul! We were privileged to be educated by a number of devoted professors each in his field: Mrs. Maguy Yammine, Mrs. Fabiola Zeidan, Mr. Philippe Bahouth and many others. Along with the Principal, Mr. George Rizkallah at that time, they provided us with career counseling and advices related to University degrees and higher education…
I graduated from SJS in ‘92 with Experimental Sciences degree and pursued my university studies at LU. I did several internships before graduating with a BBA. My first full time job was an Accounting job at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where I learned their professional standards for 5 years. After that, I resigned from Chief Accountant position to take care of my babies for a couple of years. My priorities had changed from building a career to establishing a family.
I rejoined PwC as a part time HR Assistant and gained experience in Human Resources. I liked the HR function and decided to enhance my knowledge by studying for the PHR certification hence adding the cherry on the top. This made my CV stronger and helped open new horizons for me after 4 years experience as Head of HR at PwC. In 2008, I decided to join Booz & Company as a Recruiting Manager with regional responsibilities and wider exposure to Management Consultancy.
Now, after more than 5 years experience in total within Human Resources, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far in my career. My planning skills and strong Will paid off... My values and basic foundations from home and school shaped me up as a successful working Mom. I know that the journey is still long and that my ambition has no limit. I am still thriving to achieve a work-life balance between my family and my career. I also know that I won’t be able to reach these objectives if I don’t have the great support of my husband and my kids.
Class of 2009,
Do you know what were the main lessons and important observations that I made along the way? Some of these are:
That learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all… Self-Esteem
That you shouldn’t take people for granted… Appreciation
That you can’t fly solo… Teamwork
That when there’s a will, there definitely is a way… Determination
That there truly is no mountain high enough – which happens to be this year’s theme at SJS… Ambition
That we make our own future…
our academic background forms the foundation of our Career…
and our experience shapes up our Career.
That there’s a lot of competition out there, and that only the best will finally make it. So do your best and don’t accept less.
As a Recruiter, I am frequently asked by applicants, what do I look for in a resume and cover letter when screening them?
Well, I look for academic achievements, experience and personal impact.
1- Academic Achievements:
School, University, Professional Institution, Ranking, GPA…
2- Experience:
Jobs, internships, activities (extra curricular, social, sports, artistic)…
3- Personal Impact:
Writing style, linguistic capabilities, presentation skills…
My advice to you is to make sure you highlight these three whenever you are applying for a job.
Another piece of advice:
Be true to yourself and to others… be honest and fair.
Love your family and your country… they will always be there for you.
Enjoy life and appreciate the gifts you are blessed with… God loves you - you are unique.
Support the less fortunate if you have the means to do it… there’s no greater joy than the one you feel when you see gratitude in the eyes of the needy.
Never walk in anyone’s shadow… make your own decisions.
Work hard to achieve your goals… don’t wait for opportunities to come knocking on your door.
If you fail, don’t despair, learn from your mistakes and face new challenges.
If you succeed, enjoy it! Take pride in your success and explore new horizons.
Last but not least, wherever you go and whatever you do, please keep this in mind:
YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE
Congratulations Class of 2009!
May God bless you.