In 2001, Alicia Rau had just returned from a semester studying in Africa , was finishing her final year of undergraduate work, and wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Like many, I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation,” Rau said.

That’s where Cherie Mobasheri (PhD ’00) stepped in.

Mobasheri, then a Career Center advisor at The University of Iowa, suggested that Rau try an internship, as a way to give the outside world a “test run.”

“She really helped me look outside of the box, do things bigger and different than the norm,” Rau said. “And she continues to show me through example, even today, how to live life to the fullest by searching for my own niche in society.”

Rau is now a professional musician in New York City , thanks in part to that internship she tried at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in New York .

She said she still keeps a motivational collage Mobasheri gave to her at one of their advising sessions.

“She had sorted through magazines and found the most vibrant images that summed up her view of my personality and my potential,” Rau said. “It was the sweetest, most effective gift—to see how someone else viewed me as powerful and strong and promising. Sometimes others see in us what we cannot, and Cherie has a knack for that great quality.”

Mobasheri said her biggest professional satisfaction comes from observing former students or clients, like Rau, as they achieve success.

“Being active and creative in a way that helps others is fun for me,” Mobasheri said.

After leaving the UI in 2005, Mobasheri found her way to Ifrane , Morocco . There she serves as a psychological counselor and teaches Interpersonal Skills and Social Interaction at Al Akhawayn University.

The university, founded in 1995, follows an American curriculum and instruction is in English. Of the 1,200 people who make up the student population, Mobasheri said she’s seen 250 for issues such as roommate disputes, academic distress, family problems, and depression.

Mobasheri is also the guidance counselor at the local K-12 school, where she spends most of her time helping the older students with college preparation and applications.

“As long as I am making the smallest difference on the job, I feel good,” Mobasheri said.

Karima Saadaoui, who has seen Mobasheri as her counselor at Al Akhawayn University for the past year, said Mobasheri makes a big difference for her.

“She gives me support, especially with all of the challenges I am facing as a university student here on campus,” Saadaoui said. “I feel free to talk with her about anything that bothers me. She is always smiling and willing to help me at any time.”

In addition to her work in Morocco , Mobasheri, a single mother of three, also has worked in The United Arab Emirates, Iran , Japan , and France , as well as a handful of sites in the United States .

She has big plans for the upcoming year at Al Akhawayn University.

“Plans for next year include continuing the counseling, setting up a website with culturally appropriate research materials, starting a support group for substance abusers, and trying to get a peer hotline operational,” she said.

She said she’s learned through her extensive experience in several countries to be flexible, creative, and understanding of cultural differences.

“A bit of honey catches more flies than vinegar—respect, politeness, and good intentions will take one anywhere in the world,” she said.