Playing the Long Game

Whether on the squash court, in the classroom, or at her summer internship, Salma T. Alam El Din ’20 is all business.

An economics major from Cairo, Egypt, and a member of the Trinity College women’s squash team, Alam El Din was named to the College Squash Association (CSA) All-American Second Team and the All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) First Team last spring. One highlight of Alam El Din’s 2017-2018 season was during the team’s 8-1 victory over in-state rival Yale University, when she won 3-0 at the No. 2 spot to clinch the match. The Bantams made it to the CSA National Team Championships and finished second in the country.

Alam El Din also earned NESCAC All-Academic honors and received Faculty Honors thanks to her hard work in the classroom this year. She has volunteered at Capitol Squash, which works to empower the youth of Hartford to reach their potential as athletes, students, and engaged citizens, and is actively involved in Trinity’s Muslim Student Association and Arabic Club. When she’s not on the court or in the classroom, she enjoys drawing, writing, and playing the piano.

An interest in the investment industry led Alam El Din to an internship in Hartford this summer that has helped to familiarize the international student with the U.S. work environment and given her insight into the career she wants to pursue. “It is a great opportunity to learn about the investment industry and acquire technical and analytical skills while being close to campus,” Alam El Din said of her for-credit, paid summer internship at Hartford Investment Management Co. (HIMCO). “I am part of the Business Intelligence Team, which entails daily meetings with my team and the business side to discuss our work. I also attend lectures as part of the Talent Speaker Series, which is specifically designed for interns, and participate in weekly meetings as part of a trading game made of teams of interns.”

Trinity’s Center for Student Success and Career Development helped Alam El Din prepare for the internship interview process by discussing her strengths and weaknesses and encouraging her to think about why she was well suited for the position. She thought back to a panel discussion she attended last semester—organized by G. Fox and Company Professor of Economics Diane Zannoni for her macroeconomics class—between three Trinity alumni who spoke about their successful careers. Alam El Din said, “The panel included American and international students. The talk was engaging and inspirational. They appreciated the integral role Trinity played in shaping their personalities and career prospects. It made me appreciate my education at Trinity even more and realize that the characteristics that make me stand out from my American peers are unique.”

As an international student, Alam El Din said, an internship offers a uniquely rewarding experience. “Working in the United States is culturally educational, and being a part of a very diverse and competitive team such as Trinity’s squash team has certainly given me the confidence to take on challenges like these,” she said. “It also makes me appreciate the culture I am in, as well as the culture I am from. Not to mention, the work and social skills I have picked up from daily interactions in the workplace have deepened my understanding of America while helping me to create networks and connect my economics education with my career goals.”

The internship experience this summer has helped Alam El Din develop her communication, presentation, and leadership skills, as well as her analytical thinking and ability to work as part of a team—all of which she will apply to her athletics, education, and career. “I’ve also gained a deeper understanding of the investment industry and where I see myself in it,” Alam El Din said. “The internship has helped me realize the variety of opportunities out there.”

To expand her horizons even further, Alam El Din is studying away at University College of London this fall.

Written by Andrew J. Concatelli and Hamna Tariq ’20