Aisha Ali came to Baruch College on a Presidential Scholarship to major in computer information systems. Now she’s enrolled in the MBA program in human resource management with an organizational behavior focus. “I tutored students in calculus at Baruch’s Student Academic Counseling Center and realized I really liked working with people. Organizational behavior is the perfect mixture of psychology and management.”
Today, her primary goal is to get as much diverse HR experience as possible. Last summer, Ali interned at Mt. Sinai/NYU Medical Health Systems during its merger. “We learn about mergers in textbooks, but I got to see what it’s really like. The biggest challenge to any merger is to develop cohesion, to have one goal.”
To Ali, human resources helps find people who can contribute the most to an organization. “Contribution isn’t limited just to skills. That’s the foundation, but also a person’s ability to shine can be a big factor to the success of any organization.” This summer Ali interns at the Rogosin Institute, a medical research/health care facility in Manhattan. “I hope to get more HR experience in the areas of recruiting and developing workshops and training. I’m exploring all the different facets of HR.”
The fact that Baruch emphasizes core courses to ensure students are well-rounded has benefited Ali. “People in the industry want someone to be knowledgeable beyond their specialty,” says Ali. “You should be able to carry on a general conversation. That sometimes is the thing that distinguishes you from the other candidates in an interview.”
Another plus, Ali acted as vice president of the Muslim Students Association. This role gave her leadership experience and the confidence to interact effectively with all types of people. During her tenure, the students organized clothing and canned food drives for victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Kosovo’s civil war. “We tried to help out students within the Baruch community but also networked with other students in the city and made an effort for global relief.” In the beginning, the club averaged five members a week; today, that number has increased tenfold.
Ali was also an active member of Baruch’s Golden Key. “It’s a club that caters to the needs of those who excel academically, yet it encourages students to use their potential in a good way, to go beyond the classroom experience and work for the community.”

—CF