My Rollins Gateway
No Limits
By Elsa Wenzel | Photo by Scott Cook
How veteran and business management major Tamer Elkhouly ’19 excelled in the Army, matured as a Rollins transfer student, and landed on a leadership track in the defense industry. Tamer Elkhouly ’19 had made it through boot camp, Patriot Missile training school, and 13 months of active duty in the Army. But as a fourth-year Rollins business management major, he had yet to write a cover letter—and one was due soon for his dream job. Elkhouly, who transferred to Rollins from Valencia College, hightailed it over to Rollins’ Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP), whose experts immediately helped him craft the depth and breadth of his skills and experience in a sequence that stepped through his military, academic, and work history. He learned that a cover letter is more than restating a resume—that it should explain who you are and what you will bring to work on day one, enabling the interview to focus on the meatier questions. He was able to send that letter just in time and landed that dream job six months before graduation. 22 | ROLLINS
While at Rollins, Elkhouly utilized CCLP’s resources on a regular basis, getting help with internship application materials and advice on professional video interviews, which included never to conduct them in your dorm room. Through his challenging coursework and Rollins’ focus on experiential learning, he also garnered skills in project management, public speaking, organizational behavior, and business law that have proved indispensable in his role as a contract specialist in Raytheon’s two-year Contracts Leadership Development Program. From combining his military background with business and communication skills to providing lifesaving solutions to U.S. allies around the world even before donning a cap and gown, explore some of the transformative waypoints on Elkhouly’s personalized pathway through Rollins.
