Student Spotlight: Sharif R. Abouomar (Master of Business Administration, AI in Business Graduate Certificate)

With Memorial Day approaching, we honor members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served and continue to serve our country. And at the University of Cincinnati, we pride ourselves on offering flexible online education to veterans and active military personnel.  

Sharif R. Abouomar, a recent graduate of UC’s online Master of Business Administration and online Artificial Intelligence in Business Graduate Certificate, serves as Director of Maintenance Operations in the Department of the Air Force.  

He shared what brought him to UC, his online learning experience, and his post-master's goals.

Sharif has followed this guiding principle throughout his entire career:

"Education does not stop at a diploma. You have to keep going, keep learning, and keep adapting to the market.” It’s what led him to pursue his MBA, and it’s also how he became a Bearcat.  

Prior to coming to UC, Sharif already held a master’s degree in quality engineering. He was also an active-duty master sergeant and in charge of a 201-person operation. Still, Sharif was already planning his next step professionally. He knew that earning his MBA was non-negotiable.  

“What pushed me in this direction is the understanding that, when I eventually leave the military, I cannot afford to be stagnant or siloed in one realm like aviation maintenance or aerospace. I want to pursue technology, drive efficiencies, and apply the skillsets I have built to both the technical and the business side of an organization.”

Concerned about what school would fit his goals and schedule best, Sharif was hesitant to start his master’s. That is, until Sergeant Kyle Pearson, a colleague and fellow Bearcat, told him about UC.

Once Sharif felt confident that UC’s MBA met his goals, he took the plunge and enrolled. Throughout his master’s program, he worked to prioritize his studies while leading “the largest organization in the Fighter Wing.”  

Balancing his military career and his MBA wasn’t always easy. At times it got overwhelming. However, the ability to learn online and from anywhere made all the difference in Sharif’s experience.

“The online format gave me the flexibility I needed to stay mission-focused at work while still meeting course deadlines on nights, weekends, and any window I could carve out during the duty day,” he said. “This kind of workload comes down to discipline and planning. When I treated school like another duty on my calendar and blocked out in advance, it got done. When I tried to squeeze it into whatever gaps were left, it slipped.” 

Not only did Sharif graduate with a valuable degree—the lessons he learned have continued to shape how he leads his team and manages his time at home. 

“What kept me moving was knowing I had to persevere for my family and set an example for my subordinates. My wife was right there beside me through all of it, encouraging me, staying patient, and giving me the space to keep pushing.”

Sharif became a Bearcat alumnus earlier this year. Already, he’s pursuing a third master’s degree in engineering. With his education spanning across disciplines, where does he see himself next? 

After completing his career in the Armed Forces, Sharif doesn’t plan on slowing down. Instead, he wants to leverage his fluency in both business and technology and “bridge those connections.” While his interests already fall at the intersection of these two fields, his decision is also motivated by industry demand. 

AI (artificial intelligence) is changing every industry, particularly business and tech. Professionals well-versed in both fields are in high demand professionally, and that demand will only grow. An MBA gives Sharif a competitive edge when applying for these jobs.

“If you can assess problems from both the business and technical perspectives, you bring something most leaders cannot, and that is the lane I have been intentionally building myself into.” 

Sharif paired his MBA with an Artificial Intelligence in Business Graduate Certificate. He described this choice as “a defining piece” of his UC Online experience.  

“Working through how AI is shaping the business world, where it succeeds and where it falls short, has been eye-opening,” he said. Through his coursework, Sharif learned many of the ways in which AI has transformed business—such as GenAI, machine learning (ML) design, current and emerging technologies, and implementation of AI and ML tools in the business world.  

It was sometimes difficult for Sharif to transition between business, technical, and AI coursework. Even so, having so much variety in his education allowed him to see how each topic connected. Business, tech, and AI didn’t exist in isolation; they each were a part of the whole.  

And during his MBA capstone, everything Sharif had learned finally came together. This culminating experience cemented what he’d learned in class and sharpened his interpersonal skills—a key part of a graduate’s toolkit.

“Working with different teams, managing conflict, and getting people aligned to deliver a finished product was a real challenge, especially in a geographically separated, fully online environment,” he recalled. “You have to put in the work to get to know your teammates and break down the natural barriers to communication that come with not being in the same room. That experience taught me more about leadership and collaboration than any single course ever could.” 

Sharif plans to continue growing and pursuing education—degrees, certifications, any way to continue building his expertise.

When asked his advice for future online learners, he shared the advice he’d once received:

“If you have it in you to keep going, do not stop. The moment you stop, the moment you tell yourself you will get to it later, you start pushing the next degree off for years. Eventually, you stop believing you will actually do it. If you have the ambition, keep moving. You have already built the momentum, and it’s hard to rebuild once it’s gone.” 

His words ring true not only for his goals, but for any adult or non-traditional learners. If you dream of going back to school, take hold of that feeling. It will never feel like the right time to pursue a degree—but once you gain that momentum, you'll be glad that you did.

If you want to grow in business but don’t know what path to take, you can follow the same route as Sharif.

UC’s online Master of Business Administration will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to grow professionally. And with our numerous online graduate certificates, you can further carve out your ideal career and charge towards it.  

Still have questions? Connect with your Enrollment Services Advisor and receive personalized support.