I attended Jubail Academy for 5 years, from 5th grade through 9th grade, as this was when the school only went through 9th grade.
After graduating from St. John’s School in Houston in 1990, I attend and then graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas where I studied Economics and Management. I am currently a Hedge Fund manager.
Jubail Academy was unique for its students and teachers and I’m still in contact with many friends from there. When compared to the other places where I studied, which includes some very good prep schools and universities, the proportion of students from Jubail that have succeeded, in a large way, is very high.
My favorite school subjects in school were math and computers and I had some of the best teachers in my educational experience at Jubail. Having the right teacher, who takes an interest in you, expects great things from you, and pushes you to your capacity early in life really sets you on the right path.
When I left Jubail Academy, I was probably most proud of my academic record and my competitive accolades in the various math competitions that the school entered. I loved being a part of the various team competitions for example sports, knowledge bowl and the like. The school and team camaraderie, especially on long trips to competitions, was very memorable.
Later in life, I realized how meaningless those things are and now I am most proud of having made some of my best friends for life during that time. My core group of friends to this very day, the foundations for those friendships that are in their fourth decade, were all forged at Jubail Academy.
ISG alumni, please remember that networking is critical, especially in the early years of your career, networking is critical. ISG alumni are diverse – people from so many countries, all with a strong tendency for success and the special bond of a shared Saudi experience. Creating a strong network of alumni especially in a catalogued and searchable manner would help ISG alumni further their careers.