Islamabad
The first-ever Career Pathways Tour took 26 high school students from all over Pakistan to visit 9 colleges and universities in Midwestern USA (Iowa, Illinois and Indiana) for three weeks, from July 16 to August 7, 2016.
EducationUSA at United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) organised this summer immersion programme to enable Pakistani high school students to experience life as an international student in USA.
Participant Maham Awan from Roots International School, Islamabad explains how the Tour has helped her plan her future: “I went into this programme thinking I wanted to be an engineer,” she says, “but I had no idea what an engineering degree would entail. The Career Pathways Tour helped me understand not only the kind of classes I would have to take as an engineering major but also the kind of job opportunities I will have after I graduate.” Salman Khan from Beaconhouse School, Islamabad says: “I was amazed to learn that students who were pursuing hospitality management in the US worked in an actual hotel as a part of their training and also worked with actual guests rather than just study about it from their books.”
EducationUSA offers free advice and assistance to students hoping to pursue higher education in USA. Advising Manager Umair Khan notes that students, parents, and school counselors are often unaware of the breadth and variety of academic majors and professions available in USA. “The concept behind this tour,” he says, “is to introduce Pakistani students to the plethora of academic programs available in the US and to encourage them to think creatively within and beyond the conventional fields of Medicine, Engineering and Business. Subjects are increasingly interdisciplinary and our students need to think outside the box in terms of their passions and interests. Traveling with our EducationUSA advisers and their own school counselors also promotes students’ maturity and independence.”
Fields of study explored during the Tour included Natural Science, Business, Agriculture, Hospitality, Art, Engineering and Informatics. Fun activities, such as a day at Great America Amusement Park in Chicago and a campout in Iowa, were also part of the program. As participant Abdul Bari from Beaconhouse, Hyderabad explains, “I always thought that I wanted to be a business major but this tour really changed my perspective. I don’t have to choose my major right away. I have the option of taking my time to figure this out in the first two years of my undergraduate degree.”
