Open Door Community: Meet Mona Saad, MENA Program Manager
This interview series shares the unique stories and perspectives across Open Door Policy’s community of team members, learners, mentors, trainers, and more. This community is the driving force behind our mission; the diversity in voices, professional and academic backgrounds, ambitions, and geographies brings so much conversation in and value to the program. Through this series, we’d like to share a slice of that with you.
First up, meet Mona Saad, the inimitable Program Manager for the 2020 MENA Program. After running the operations for the pilot program in Malaysia herself, our founder Katrina Too knew that we had a critical role to fill for programs to come: a Program Manager. A leader who could juggle time-zones, online learning logistics, and session planning with ease. Most importantly, an advocate for the students who communicates clearly, and with empathy. Someone sharp and thoughtful, who can identify gaps and level up the Open Door Policy operations. Luckily, we found Mona. Keep reading to learn a little more about her.
Q: Hi Mona! Tell me more about yourself.
Mona: I’m half-Bahraini and half Egyptian. I have lived in Bahrain my whole life, and I went to Egypt to study at the American University of Cairo for political science. I was there for four years focusing on my studies in Middle Eastern politics and then I did my Masters in International Relations — which I’m just about to be done with! My thesis is on conflict resolution in civil wars.
Q: You interned for the UNHCR in Egypt after your undergrad studies. What was that experience like compared to working on Open Door Policy?
Mona: I worked in the registration unit for three months helping refugees work on their applications or registrations to the UN. It was a completely different context working for the UN — being there in-person, it was much easier to make those quick connections. I also knew a lot more about our beneficiaries’ histories based on their registration information. However, I couldn’t help as much as I wanted to or thought I would be able to because the UNHCR is this massive organization with many moving parts.
With Open Door Policy, I’m always interested in hearing more about our learners’ backgrounds from them, but ultimately my focus is on their engagement and experience with our program. I’m focused on their future opportunities, not as much about their past. I’m also excited that I’m able to help individuals on a personal level. At the end of the day, while they might be successful in finding work through us, they’re also gaining training on business fundamentals, long-term mentorship and most importantly, a community.
I’m focused on [our students’] future opportunities, not as much about their past.
Q: What does your role as Program Manager consist of?
Mona: I manage program operations — all communications with our cohort, how our weekly sessions are run, data collection about our program and learners, and facilitating mentor-mentee relationships. I’m here to support concerns that learners might face, and to set expectations for what’s to come, week on week. Behind the scenes, I also help with setting up employment profiles and supporting to conduct focus groups.
Q: And what has been your favorite part of being Program Manager?
Mona: The most exciting thing is when I get to talk to learners one-on-one, and understand their journeys more — why they’re here and what they’re interested in. I’m also enjoying the training sessions themselves. I’m learning alongside our students which I really like a lot because I don’t know as much about business or customer experience. It’s opening my eyes to a whole new world that I’ve never really thought about.
Q: Tell us more about this cohort of students. You know them best, after all.
Mona: What I really like about our learners is that they’re very open to feedback. In the beginning, I’d give them some advice around soft skills and cultural differences. Sometimes the things we do or say (as Arabs) don’t translate directly, so behind-the-scenes I’d offer tips on re-phrasing or re-focusing. They would always welcome the feedback.
As a Middle Easterner, our collective image is important to me so I make sure to support them on that front as much as possible. My struggle is in trying to be as professional as I can be with them because in our culture, we just love talking to each other. I feel like I’ve known them for so many years.
Q: And what’s next for you? What are your professional goals and ambitions?
Mona: I’m finishing up my Masters now and am applying to research and data analysis jobs within political science. That’s what I’m really good at — give me a problem, and I’ll analyze it for you. I’m thinking about eventually doing a PhD in the future — I really do like studying! Way in the future, I think I’d perhaps go into academia, become a professor, or publish journal articles… I also want to work in organizations in humanitarian aid.
Thank you, Mona, for sharing your work and day-to-day with Open Door Policy!
If you’d like to get involved with Open Door Policy as well, please leave us a message here.
