What makes you a Difference Maker?

What makes me a Difference Maker is my desire to help others succeed in their lives and reach their potential. Throughout high school, I often struggled with my academics and extracurriculars because of personal issues. I did not think too much of myself at the time and would not have believed I would accomplish anything grand. However, it was the support and encouragement from my family, friends, and faculty that made me realize and achieve my true potential. I owe my successes to them as they saw something in me that I did not. Now, I honor them and return the favor by encouraging and supporting others towards success.

Tell us about your leadership experience.

I am currently an SI leader since Fall 2020, where I would help students understand the topics covered in Chemistry 134 and 136. In addition to this, I also serve as an Honors mentor for the incoming freshmen in the Honors program, helping them be aware of their resources and helping them succeed. Outside of the university, I held a squad leader (SQL) role in Army ROTC throughout my sophomore year. I was responsible for the accountability and maintenance of several cadets. The year after, I was given the role of the Administration Officer (S1), where I maintained accountability for all of the cadets from Dearborn and Wayne State for a semester. In addition to this, my responsibilities also included handling the logistical aspects of transportation to training and preserving official personal records. The semester after, I was given the role of the Company Commanding Officer (CO). I was responsible for all of the off-campus cadets not attending the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. I had the duties to oversee, prepare, and execute my physical and military training plan every week.

What is your dream career or goal?

After obtaining my Bachelor's in Biological Sciences, I plan to commission into the Army as a Second lieutenant (2LT) and serve in the National Guard. Afterward, I will attend Basic Officer Leadership Course to become a fully-fledged officer that will specialize in the branch I am assigned. Following this, I plan on applying to medical school, where I hope to become a surgeon and a Field Surgeon (62B) for the Army.

What is your most defining moment?

My most defining moment at UM-Dearborn was when I was chosen to become an SI leader for Chemistry 134. I can recall vividly how I struggled in the beginning weeks when I first took this course. The pressure and anxiety I felt from failing the subject in high school was something that began to resurface as my first exam drew closer. However, with the help from my SI leaders, Lena Juratli, Laura Bazzi, Shifa, and Yusra Lakhani, they eased my worries and helped me secure an A in the course. From that experience, I wanted to leave that same impact on others and help them succeed with remote learning amidst the pandemic. While I did not receive many students within the first half of the semester, more began to appear where I would have at least twelve students in a session. In fact, for some exam review sessions, I would have around twenty students! That feeling I would get after seeing or hearing "thank you" in the Zoom meeting left me proud and accomplished that I could help others be confident about the material, like my past SI leaders.