Family History Drives Tardis Intern’s Human Rights Passion

Tardis Group intern Amina Abu-Khousah is heading to Silicon Valley, chosen for the Hacker Exchange program for emerging entrepreneurs.

The program will be funded, to a great part, by her university, but family, friends and Tardis Group have also pitched in to allow her the experience.

The 21-year old was chosen for the program after a successful presentation on how micro-financing concepts could help further educational opportunities for disadvantaged women – an idea that stems from her own family background and resulting passion for human rights.

Amina, one of three children of Palestinian parents, was born in Sydney and spent most of her childhood in the western suburb of Glenfield. Her parents had moved to Australia to escape troubles in their homeland.

‘I would say my family and their history has shaped me a lot, in particular my mother’s family story,’ said Amina, who leads her university’s branch of Amnesty International.

‘My mother’s father was a teacher and valued education over everything, including for his daughters. In Arab cultures, particularly of the past, women were encouraged to get married and have families.

‘My mother’s father didn’t agree with this and insisted they pursue tertiary education. He passed away while my mother was still in college, but ensured that his daughters’ education was paid for and would continue. This is something my mother instilled in me too.’

So Amina is now completing her final year of a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Human Resource Management, with a minor in Business Law, studies that align with her interest in psychology, her desire to work with people and solve problems.

She has recently completed her five-week internship with Tardis Group which counts significantly to her University outcome. Amina says she’s enjoyed being thrown in the deep end, while feeling supported to swim.

‘Tardis gave me real roles to work on, with real issues, they gave me feedback and encouraged me to ask questions while being understanding and judgment-free,’ she said.

‘In the final stages of a degree, you don’t want to be where people make you feel useless, but at the same time you don’t want to be completely left to your own devices feeling useless! You want that middle ground and Tardis have definitely given me that – such a good balance of working on real challenges, but having support where you need it.

‘In today’s job market an internship like this is extremely important. It means you have real-world experience. Having a degree and the knowledge is only a small percentage of what makes you a good employee or candidate.’

Recently, when Amina learned she’d been chosen for the Scholarship in the US, she launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise $500 to help cover expenses of the intensive entrepreneurship program.

She achieved that target in just three days, with more than half the amount covered by Tardis.

‘I thought it was a very kind gesture,’ she said.

‘They told me to enjoy my time in America and be sure to contact them on my return. I’d 100 per cent consider working with Tardis. I’ve had a really good five weeks and it’d be great to spend more time with the company,’ she said.