LAU Graduate, Business Manager, and Social Entrepeneur Highlights the Importance of Supporting LAU, Now More than Ever
Lebanese American University (LAU) graduate Alexander A. Nehme is no stranger to multitasking, excelling at his work, and giving back to the community while he’s at it. Not only is he the Business Development Manager at the esteemed Nehmeh Group serving the Gulf region, but he is also the founder of Arab.org, a social entrepreneurship initiative launched to encourage individuals and organizations to practice transparency and proper standards in innovation.
“Empowering every person and organization to do good remains our purpose and our guiding light into the future,” Nehme says, and he has pursued that mantra in his continuous support to LAU – most recently in his contributions to its Emergency Financial Aid Fund.
Nehme balances a hectic 7-day work week as the Vice Chairman, Board Member, and Business Development Manager at Nehmeh Group, along with a passion for social work that he puts to use at Arab.org, “I am glad that, after all this time, I am able to follow my calling as a social entrepreneur and that I can do my part in trying to make our world a little bit better,” he says.
To that end, he has been contributing to bettering LAU for quite some time since graduating with a BS in Business Computer in 2003. In fact, in 2013, Nehme, along with his family members, established an endowment fund in his mother’s name, through a $25,000 donation to the university to launch the RGN Endowed Scholarship Fund. He continues to support his alma mater to this day, most recently through donations towards helping LAU’s most deserving young scholars make it through the tough financial times they face in Lebanon today.
His most recent contribution to the LAU Emergency Financial Aid Fund comes at a time when LAU’s students need support more than ever before. “I invite all those who can donate to do so, in financial or in-kind donations, or through volunteering for LAU,” says Nehme. He hopes that those who are fortunate enough to give back will take the opportunity to do so now, so that LAU’s most qualified scholars can continue on to serve society the way he and so many of his fellow alumni and family have done and continue to do.
“In a sense, LAU has become a member of my entire family and a constant part of our lives,” Nehme explains, highlighting that an entire generation of his family graduated from the institution and that he even met his wife at LAU while pursuing his undergraduate degree. As such, Nehme explains that the impact LAU has had on his life and his career is invaluable, and that he will continue to give back to the institution for as long he can.
Reflecting on where he is now, and the fact that it all began at LAU, Nehme brings the values of community and the virtue of giving back with him in every step he has taken since receiving his degree. “LAU was instrumental in providing me with understanding of the importance of community, no matter the differences that exist within our society. I am thankful to LAU’s advanced technology, business acumen, and marketing tools that it equipped me with, and that I still apply in my pursuits today,” he says.
Nehme is a firm believer that education is the most vital element needed towards helping society reach new heights. Now, he says, the LAU Emergency Financial Aid fund is the perfect way for anyone wishing to help Lebanon to do so in the most valuable way possible – by supporting its future leaders and allowing them to graduate. “It is my firm belief that education is the single most important step to enlightenment needed for the people of Lebanon and our dire region as a whole. One can never predict the future, and perhaps those who are giving today may be the recipients of tomorrow,” Nehme concludes.
Provide support to LAU’s students by visiting: LAU Emergency Financial Aid Fund.