Amina Shafeek-Horton
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
(Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Bocconi University)
“Intentionally and spontaneously exploring the world through food, art, and people.”
Fun fact about yourself: During my sophomore and junior years of college, I traveled to twenty countries.
Notable places: Egypt, India, Qatar, and the Vatican City
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
High School: Culver Academies
Major: World Bachelor in Business
Favorite Business Course: Negotiations
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Spearheaded a project at the Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security organization to introduce high school and undergraduate students to career paths in international relations and the related resources to pursue such opportunities
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Case Analysis Team
Marshall Case Team
University of Southern California Model United Nations – Committee Chair at TrojanMUN collegiate conference and SCMUN high school conference
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce – 2021 World Trade Week Southern California Global Trade Scholar
Where have you interned during your college career?
Council of Women World Leaders at the United Nations Foundation, Remote (DC), Intern
Committee Of 100, Remote (NYC), Programs and Key Initiatives Intern
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Remote (DC), Operations Intern – Carnegie China Young Ambassador
Bain & Company, Los Angeles, Building Entrepreneurial Leaders Intern
American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Membership and Community Intern
Pfizer, Remote (NYC), Pfizer Global Supply and Enabling Functions Intern
Where will you be working after graduation? As a Schwarzman Scholar I will be earning a fully-funded Masters in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
Who is your favorite business professor? Professor Stephen Nason taught my favorite business course – Negotiations. He created a fun, competitive, and educational environment. This was a class I always looked forward to attending.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? When doing business in the U.S., Italy, or in Hong Kong, the cultural interactions are undeniably different, but relationships are the shared foundation.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Be intentional about supplementing your business experience with experience in other fields and pursuing other interests. Whether it be more specific business interest like real estate, a technical field like data analytics, or a different field like international relations, I think there is value in being a student knowledgeable of business and [insert your interest].
What has surprised you most about majoring in business? Nothing has surprised me about majoring in business, but I remember being surprised to learn about the existence of Y Combinator and its role in the success of various companies that are household names.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Looking back on my undergraduate experience, there is not anything that I would change. The catalyzing decision to participate in the World Bachelor in Business program was the best decision I made, and I feel that I have made the most of my experience. For example, in Hong Kong when classes went online because of COVID, most of my cohort left to travel across southeast Asia. I decided to stay in Hong Kong to intern with American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong before solo traveling to the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand before joining my friends in Vietnam. The internship allowed me to integrate my international relations pursuits with business and build connections with people. I spent the day in Singapore with a member of the Chamber I virtually met once prior. My WBB career has been a series educational and personal gratifying experiences.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of my involvement with the Council of Women World Leaders because of the opportunity to engage with inspiring women. The Council of Women World Leaders, a network, affiliated with the United Nations Foundation, consists of 90 current and former female prime ministers and presidents whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders on issues of critical importance to women. I am serving as the sole intern and have had the opportunity travel to Reykjavík, Iceland to facilitate and present at Council’s Annual meeting, interview the former president of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, and attend the Reykjavík Global Forum.
Which classmate do you most admire? I admire Vittoria Silvano’s dedication and diligence in the classroom. The effort she puts into her work and the results she produces are incomparable. English is not her first language, but you would not be able to tell except by her Italian identity shining through. Her biculturalism is also very impressive. I enjoy collaborating with her and always want her on my team.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mother, Timika Shafeek-Horton, has been my support system throughout my entire academic career. I would like to thank her for all the hours she has spent helping me put my best foot forward.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Have a conversation with Condoleezza Rice and have a conversation in Chinese with President Xi Jinping.
What made Amina such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024? I am proud to nominate Amina Shafeek-Horton. Amina may be the embodiment of P&Q Best and Brightest. She is a WBB student who has performed at the top of her class at all 3 schools. She was one of 150 students across the country to receive the Schwarzman Scholar Fellowship to complete a Master’s degree in China at Tsinghua University and further US-Chinese relations. She currently interns at the United Nations Foundation’s Council of Women World Leaders (where she was invited to attend a leadership conference in Iceland this past fall). She has worked on projects for the organization Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security. She has worked for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as well as the Committee of 100 and the US Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. And finally, she has been a member of the HKUST and USC case teams (she will be competing in Belgrade, Serbia in March).”
Sean O’Connell
Director, Marshall Undergraduate International Programs
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