Excited to be a Student Again after Almost 20 Years

Most parents have a hard time saying goodbye when their children leave the nest and head off to university. This won’t be a problem for Hanna Abdelwahab, who is joining her two children, Amro and Heba, as students at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences. 

They are part of the latest group of new students who have started their studies at Wittenborg this week, after completing an intense orientation week with many fun and educational activities. 

'I have been teaching for 20 years'

While her offspring will be starting their bachelor's degrees, Hanna will be doing an MBA in Education. “I have been teaching for 20 years and wanted to do an MBA on top of my other qualifications, including a Bachelor in Accounting,” she explains. The family lived in Singapore for many years and for the last 5 years in Egypt. 

Amro will do an IBA in Information Management, while Heba will start her IBA in Economics & Management. For now though, the family is still looking for accommodation in Apeldoorn so they can be close to the Wittenborg campus. 

The last time Hanna was a student was in 2000, when she did her postgraduate diploma in education. How does it feel to be back in school? “Very exciting actually. You are a different student when you have had a bit of experience in life.”

She shrugs off any suggestions that it is heroic to take on studying again as a mother and after so many years have passed. "What can I say? I love learning."

WUP 14/12/2018
by Anesca Smith 
©WUAS Press