Hannah Al Ali | DESSC Alumna and Trustee

I am Dr Hannah Al Ali and I am the Dean of the School of Mathematics and Data Science at Emirates Aviation University. I recently completed my PhD in Mathematics at Coventry University. I also hold a Master of Research from Coventry University and BSc (Honours) in Mathematics from Brunel University London. My research interests are in Applied Mathematics, Data Science and Mathematical Modelling of diseases, with a particular focus on diabetes modelling. 

What challenges did you face during your journey at DESSC? How did your experiences help you overcome them? 

Some of the challenges I faced in my journey at DESSC were struggling to balance studying for exams with after school activities, having been a keen netball player. After being extremely overwhelmed, and not doing as well as I liked in my first AS exams, this taught me resilience and forced me to figure out what I needed to do in order to be successful. Thanks to the caring teachers at DESC, they made me feel extremely supported and showed me how to manage pressures and stress in a productive way and in turn this allowed me to achieve the A level grades I wanted.
 
What exceptional experiences did you have outside of the classroom at DESSC? What are your most treasured memories? 

Some of the most treasured memories I have at DESSC are the two sports tours I was taken on. In Year 6, we participated in the BSME games for netball in Bahrain. This was an exciting experience and was the first time flying without my parents. Spending time with my friends/fellow netball team players is definitely something I will always remember. In Year 13, we got to go on another netball tour to Singapore and Malaysia. This was a great trip and was a nice way to end our school journey before heading off to university. 

What skills, knowledge or values have you taken with you from your DESSC 'extra' experiences? How have they benefitted you as a young adult?

The skills I learnt were to be more responsible, independent, patient and flexible and also understanding other people and their cultures. These skills help me every day in my life as a dean of a department, with many different nationalities working with me.