About Alumni 1. Introduce yourself.. My name is Mouhand Mahadeen. I currently work as the head of the sports department at Al-Mamlaka TV, in addition to being a sports presenter with a weekly show called "Al-Captain," which has been on air since the channel launched in 2018. In this show, we discuss sports topics and issues related to local, Arab, and international affairs. I earned my bachelor's degree in computer science from King Abdullah II School of Information Technology at the University of Jordan, and I graduated in 1995. I was also a former international football player for the Jordanian national team and Al-Faisaly Club for 16 years, from 1990 to 2005, with my retirement coming in a match between the Jordanian and Iraqi national teams. During that time, I balanced studying, working, and playing football, in a semi-professional manner. After graduation, I worked in the banking sector for 14 years. During that period, I was also involved with the national team and Al-Faisaly, where my involvement in external tournaments and camps impacted my career path. Fortunately, my colleagues understood this because my name was well known, and they recognized my necessity in those tournaments. I later played professionally in Bahrain for a year and a half before shifting to media after retiring from football. This transition happened by chance when, while at the bank, I was offered a presenting opportunity for a show on ART called "Hasad Al-Dawri," where I worked part-time, hosting one episode a week for two years. Following that, I worked at the Jordan Football Association as a marketing and communications manager. My experience in both banking and media helped me transition into the sports sector, where I achieved great success in securing sponsorship deals and managing marketing activities, bringing in major sponsorship contracts.
In 2013, I continued my media journey by working in radio, presenting a weekly show called "Adrenaline with Mahadeen" for two years. Later, I officially joined Al-Mamlaka TV as a program host. My entire professional background, whether in banking, the football federation, or media, has helped shape my career, but undoubtedly, my university studies at the University of Jordan in computer science were the foundation, especially in my early years working in banking. Thanks to these diverse experiences, I was able to build a career full of varied expertise, always striving to learn and develop myself at each stage, leaving a positive impact wherever I went. My sports career helped open doors for me in media, banking, and even institutional work, and it played a central role in building trust and effective communication with people. For example, in the banking sector, they valued my presence as a football player and used me in some advertisements, while my relationships with clients were enhanced because many knew me as a national team player, which made interacting with them much easier. | 2. Share your fondest memory from your time at Jordan University. One of my fondest memories at the university was the pride and joy I felt after winning matches with the national team or the club. I would return to campus with a sense of accomplishment, and I felt like I was sharing the achievement with everyone. The professors in the computer science department warmly welcomed me, and I felt like I was coming back to campus on a high from the victories, surrounded by appreciation. The daily scenes were unforgettable as well... when I passed from the Faculty of Science towards the Milk Bar Square or the Clock Tower, I was congratulated from every direction by classmates and friends in the corridors, making it clear that the university was a witness to those beautiful moments. There were also fellow national team players studying in the Faculty of Sports Sciences, so we frequently met in the sports hall, where many students would gather in a vibrant sports atmosphere. One of the moments I will never forget was with Dr. Malik Salem, the supervisor of my graduation project. After one of our victories, I entered the hall, and there was no vacant seat. He jokingly said, "Don't worry, we'll get you a special chair," and brought me a sofa to sit on in the middle of my classmates. This gesture left a lasting impression on me, especially when I later discovered that he was also a sports fan, despite his academic strictness. There was always mutual respect between me and my professors. They appreciated me as an athlete, and I made sure to live up to their expectations as a diligent student. Although my involvement with the national team and participation in external tournaments caused me to miss a few semesters, I always ensured that my academic performance was not affected, working hard to maintain my excellent academic standing alongside my commitment as a player. I never regretted that, as I was determined to succeed in both the athletic and academic fields. Thanks to my determination, I was able to balance my studies and sports career, excelling in both as a distinguished national team player and a dedicated student at the University of Jordan. This is an achievement I am proud of to this day. | 3. In one word, how would you describe Jordan University? If I had to describe the university in one word, it would be "formation" because it was the phase in which my character was shaped, and it laid the foundation for my future. The university was one of the best stages of my life; it came after the adolescence period and was a time of maturing experiences and acquiring awareness. I still maintain strong friendships from that time, and every meeting with them brings back the details of those university days. It truly is the place that shaped my identity and continues to influence me to this day. | 4. Explain how your experiences at UJ shaped you. I spent more time at the university than I did at home, as my life was split between studying, sports training, and family commitments. Due to my football involvement alongside my university studies, I didn't have much social time with friends. However, I was determined to balance both, putting in significant effort to succeed in both. I would often finish my lectures and head straight to training, keeping my sports bag in a locker on campus and moving directly from the hall to the training field without a break. The training sessions sometimes took place at the university stadium, so my time was always fully utilized, and my life at that time was filled with activity and discipline. Studying computer science helped me develop a methodical approach to organizing my life. I learned to break down tasks into clear steps and follow them in order, which positively impacted how I approached challenges. This analytical and sequential thinking had a significant effect on my media career, helping me develop clear strategies, understand problems, and break them down into organized steps to address them efficiently and effectively. | 5. Discuss what fascinated you about your chosen course of study. My choice of major was influenced by my sister, who was in her final year of computer science, which made me very excited to study it, especially since she could help me choose subjects and courses. However, since I was also playing for the national under-17 team and achieving athletic success, I received an 86 in high school, which allowed me to study engineering, and I was accepted into the engineering program in the second semester, not directly through academic excellence. However, computer science was the major I ended up in. Even though I aspired to study engineering, I thought carefully about it and realized that engineering would be a greater challenge for me due to its requirements like labs, drafting, and subjects that demand more commitment. So, I chose computer science, which provided me with a chance to balance both my academic studies and sports career, as my main goal was to excel in both fields. | 6. Offer advice to graduating students preparing to enter the workforce. I advise all students to study not just for grades, but to gain knowledge. The human brain is capable of absorbing a vast amount of information across various fields like politics, economics, and social studies. This is a golden opportunity during your time at university to enrich your mind with valuable knowledge in your chosen field. If you study this way, the information will stay with you in your mind, and your studies won't just be about getting a grade. The grade isn't the most important thing after graduation. It may help you graduate, but in the job market, we don't just look at grades but the skills and knowledge you possess. For instance, being proficient in the Arabic language is valuable in many fields, including media. In my case, as a computer science graduate, my fluency in classical Arabic helped me immensely to become a sports presenter, and without that, I wouldn't have been able to work in media. The reason I'm a presenter is that I was a football player, a university graduate, and I possessed good thinking skills and gained knowledge from the subjects I studied. Whatever you study in university, do so to enhance your knowledge and store it in your memory, because you will need it in the future. One day, you'll find yourself in a situation where you have to speak in front of a group, whether in your work or in any other area. Don't wait until you're 35 or 40 to start sharing your opinions. When you're younger, try to speak and express your opinions. It doesn't matter if your opinion is right or wrong, the important thing is how you present it and convince others. This requires a lot of knowledge, and you can obtain that knowledge through reading and studying. | 7. Reflect on what you wish you had known during your time as a student. When we began studying computer science back in 1995, the computer was still reliant on early languages like DOS, and Windows hadn't spread yet. When we graduated, Windows 95 started to emerge. Therefore, graduates of IT today have far more opportunities than we did, due to the rapid advancements in programming languages. The programs we studied at the university were different from what was available in the job market, and we had to learn new languages as soon as we entered the workforce. At that time, things were changing quickly, but we had the chance to learn new tools and methods available in our era. Nowadays, the tools available to students far surpass what we had, and research has become much easier thanks to open sources available to everyone. | 8. Identify the person who has had the greatest impact on your career. The greatest influence in my academic and professional life came from my mother, may she rest in peace. She played a significant role in shaping my character and supporting me in my career as a football player and athlete. Being the youngest in the family, I naturally received a lot of attention and prayers from my mother, who always encouraged me to succeed. Even though I was excelling academically, I was always distinguished in sports, which made her proud, despite occasionally worrying about my frequent injuries. On the other hand, my father, may he rest in peace, who passed away when I was young, also had a great influence on me. Although I didn't live with him for long, his legacy and impact are still present in my life. He was among the top graduates at the University of Baghdad in the late 1950s and earned two master's degrees in law from prestigious universities. He was a distinguished figure and received many awards, which helped me cling to his academic and cultural legacy. My father's library contained many valuable books and encyclopedias, which created a rich environment of knowledge that influenced my cultural development. I felt it was my duty to preserve my father's legacy, either through completing his studies or building my own reputation. This guidance and support were key factors in making me a unique individual in society, and even though I didn't live with my father much, I carried his legacy with me and sought to move forward in my life thanks to the blessings of God Almighty.
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