Nabil Dabouz is a busy man. He’s a former FIRST Global participant, a software engineering student at the Polytechnic Montréal, and a volunteer with the FIRST LEGO® League in Canada. However, during the summer of 2018, he took on one more role – that of mentor to Team Algeria.
Before 2017, Nabil didn’t have much experience with STEM. He participated in a summer camp where he was first introduced to technology through its Information Technology Club. Soon after he was representing Algeria in the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge in Washington, D.C.
“The FIRST Global Challenge is an amazing opportunity for us to be part of a global community of young leaders working together for a better tomorrow,” he said.
The next summer, while on break from university, Nabil went to the Algiers STEAM Center that had previously been his second home. There he was asked to run selection for the 2018 team, and ultimately, become its mentor.
The team went on to win the silver medal for the Sofia Kovalevskaya Award for International Journey.
In Mexico City the team won the silver medal for the Sofia Kovalevskaya Award for International Journey.
Nabil credits his mentoring success to the skills he gained from his participation in 2017 — not only technical skills, but also leadership, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. Considering the impact the FIRST Global Challenge has had on his life, Nabil is determined to continue utilizing these skills to further the reach of STEM opportunities to more students.
And Nabil isn’t the only one; several other past participants have gone on to become team mentors, including students in Botswana, Madagascar, Chile, and Tunisia.
“We have been inspired by FIRST Global, so we are inspiring our youth to pursue their STEM passion and to aim for changing the world,” Nabil said.
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