Reflecting on My LaunchX Internship: Mohamed M. Mostafa

This article was written by Mohamed M. Mostafa, LaunchX alumni and past lead intern. Connect with Mo here.

I’ve been relying on ChatGPT for nearly every piece of writing these days (no judgment, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), but this particular piece is going to be filled with genuine, non-AI emotions that I don’t want to taint with the more polished, curated, and accurate sentiments typically generated by AI. (I mean, what’s the point of being human anymore? Anyway, that’s a dilemma for another day—one we’ll probably face when we lose our jobs and have enough time to reflect on it then. XD) (Dark comedy is my strong suit.)

Finding My Way Back to LaunchX

After being a Launchie for a couple of months, then returning to LaunchX as an ambassador, followed by roles as a marketing intern, community outreach intern, and eventually as a lead intern, it’s been—wait for it—about a year and a half since I first became involved with this distinguished entity that I still find a way to mention in my conversations, whether or not it’s even remotely relevant to the topic at hand (I mean, it could really go like this:

Examiner: What is the X in the following Starling equation, Jf = Kf × ((Pc − X) − (πc − πi))?

Me: The X is probably the interstitial hydrostatic pressure, and by the way as you mentioned X, do you know LaunchX?)

The best part of my experience as an intern, without a doubt, has been the tremendously supportive (and yes, I know GPT often uses "tremendous," but this one is 100% my own choice), professional, empowering, and collaborative staff at LaunchX. A great example of this support would be how Haley was there for me with every paycheck. (For context, Egypt is experiencing an economic crisis, which makes sending and receiving money from abroad a challenge.) She fought through the vicious bureaucracy, not only ensuring I received my paychecks but also helping me with the instructors' package and navigating all the hectic customs issues. The professionalism and collaboration of the entire team across the different committees made it an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t want to sound like I’m exaggerating, but I truly enjoyed working alongside each and every one of them.

Bosses, Balance, and My Imaginary Twin, Om

Unfortunately, in many jobs these days, you either lack the freedom to be creative due to micromanagement by your boss, or you're left to navigate things on your own with no clear direction on what needs to be done or how to do it. This often stifles both personal and professional growth. However, throughout my internships, I had the privilege of working with exceptional bosses—especially Deja, my direct supervisor as a Lead Intern, and Kristen, my direct supervisor during my community outreach internship. They were experts at striking the perfect balance between empowering me and fostering my growth. They provided clear guidance on what needed to be done while allowing flexibility in how to approach tasks, giving me the freedom to explore, experiment, and take initiative. And to be completely honest and share my full experience, there were times when my strategy led me nowhere. In those moments, I would find myself pinging them, "Hey, Deja, I’m a bit confused and really don’t know how to proceed from here. Are you available for a short meeting?" Despite how often I reached out with my questions, they were always there for me. (In fact, Deja and I even created an imaginary twin of mine named "Om"—the opposite of Mo—so he would be the one annoying her instead of me. It’s a great inside joke, and I still use it to this day.)

Another aspect of my experience is how it helped me grow both professionally and personally. I’ll do my best not to sound cliché, so let me elaborate. I’m a medical student (and surprisingly, I’m not trying to squeeze that into my conversations as much as I do with LaunchX). My days typically consist of studying, attending clinical rounds at the hospital, and watching medical dramas during my breaks. The LaunchX internship was a window for me to break free from this endless routine and pursue other interests, such as entrepreneurship. (At one point in high school, I even considered studying entrepreneurship in college, that how much I’m into it)

Leveling Up Professionally

It wasn’t just a chance to spend my time doing something I enjoy; it also gave me the opportunity to develop several key professional skills. Ranging from communication (tasks like reaching out to potential partners as a community outreach intern, and interacting as a lead intern with students, instructors, and headquarters, allowed me to learn how to adjust my communication style accordingly), research and data collection (as I contributed to projects constructing global databases for hackathons, partners, and schools), project management and content creation (as I contributed to the early development of LaunchXed and designed content and challenges for the platform), leadership (I honed my leadership skills as a lead intern by supervising fellow interns, working alongside them, and developing strategies to maintain both high morale and efficiency), networking (through my various roles, I not only built a strong network but also made lasting friendships with people from different backgrounds and industries), and practicing my English (which is rare to find an opportunity to do so in my region) that allowed me to explore other cultures, furthering my journey as a global citizen. There are many others, but I’m getting tired just thinking about listing them all :”

Once a Launchie, Always a Launchie

I am deeply grateful to LaunchX for the opportunity they gave me back in high school by offering nearly a full financial aid scholarship to attend their program. They continue to humble me with their generosity. In addition to all the invaluable experiences I gained, I was able to earn money that covered a significant portion of my medical school tuition fees, sparing me from relying totally on loans. To be clear, I am not advocating for unpaid internships, but in my specific situation, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to offer help without expecting anything in return.

All in all, please excuse my rusty English, as I haven’t practiced it in a while (I study medicine in English, but most medical terms are actually in Latin). I feel I should have reached out to GPT earlier, because now it seems my words are covering so many random topics and are somewhat incoherently combined. But it’s too late to worry about that—it is what it is. Honesty has a price, and I guess this is it! LaunchX truly feels like family to me. Once a Launchie, always a Launchie :)

This article was written by Mohamed (Mo) M. Mostafa. Connect with Mo here. Interested in joining the LaunchX team over the summer? Check out available positions both on-site in the US and virtually.