My story

My name is Sabnam Mustafa but I often go by my Bangla nickname, Mou. I am a first-generation Bangladeshi-American transfer student. I was born and raised in Kissimmee, Florida where I also attended Valencia College. I transferred to University of Central Florida to finish my Bachelor's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a Leadership Studies Certificate.

After high school, I began working in the hospitality industry gaining experience in various resort operations. I started in activities/recreation at Orange Lake Resort and then got promoted to Front Desk where I also gained experience in overnight auditing, rooms control, and resort services. Later, I was promoted to work as a Rooms Inventory Admin Clerk for corporate Holiday Inn Club Vacations. I gained adaptability skills and conflict-resolution skills working in these positions as I am now better able to handle any situation with resort and timeshare guests.

Once I graduated Valencia with my AA and began working on my Bachelor of Science at UCF, I worked part-time at Universal Studios Orlando as a Merchandise Team Member were I also held a title as the TSAT Representative for my area. As a representative, I had the responsibility to gather and report team concerns to leaders and ensure the team received follow-up communication addressing any areas of interest. 

From 2016-2022, I volunteered with the Clean the World, UCF Arboretum, Volunteer UCF, and OBAC Charity. Through my community involvement, I learned about the importance of sustainability and how to incorporate it into my lifestyle. I also worked at the UCF Psychology Clinic where I was able to train two new-hires and create team schedules while working as a clinic assistant. These experiences further solidified my interest in working in administration and human resources. Often taking the role as a trainer for new-hires, I grew an interest for recruitment, training, and employee well-being & development.

The classes that stood out to me most during my undergraduate career were cross-cultural psychology and performance appraisal & job coaching. Experiencing first-hand how different management styles, diversity, and inclusion can affect productivity in the workplace inspired me to gain more knowledge on team cohesion, effectiveness, and burnout. I am currently volunteering for two labs at UCF as a research assistant that focus on work-stress and team performance. I am also currently in the process of applying to pursue a Master's Degree in I/O Psychology this upcoming year while working as a Spa Attendant at Four Seasons Orlando.