When it comes to being involved on campus, there may be no better person to speak on the topic than Wasey Rehman. From his first day on campus, Wasey has found ways to build communities and advocate for the people that surround him.

“One of the things I am most proud of during my time at UM-Dearborn has been my involvement in various aspects of the university experience including my political, extracurricular, academic, and bureaucratic engagement with our institution,” he says.

On top of his leadership roles, community work, and research projects, Wasey has managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and will be graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and three minors in biology, anthropology, and comparative literature in only three years of undergraduate study.

He has also been selected to address his class as the Winter 2024 Commencement Undergraduate Student Speaker.

Representing His Community

The communities that we live in and occupy shape who we are. In the video above, Wasey expresses his admiration for the UM-Dearborn community he’s interacted with over the past three years, reflecting on how they are different, yet similar.

“Our students are not just students, they’re mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, and you learn something from this,” he says. “My classmates aren’t just folk who are my age. My classmates are parents, they’re grandparents, they’re aunts and uncles, but also people who have held jobs, immigrants who have seen the real world.”

Wasey expresses how important it was to him to represent his peers at UM-Dearborn to the general public. He believes that by representing his community, their incredible accomplishments won’t go without notice. In October 2022, Wasey was able to provide a  UM-Dearborn student experience as a guest on 760 WJR Radio Guy Gordon’s College Tour. He also spoke in support of UM-Dearborn students and lecturers during two Board of Regent’s Public Comments, one of which advocated for additional scholarships for students and funding in his first semester.

His hard work, advocacy, and academic performance, have led to him winning a series of awards including:

- 2024 American Chemical Society Distinguished Undergraduate in Biochemistry
- 2024 Natural Science Department Cell and Molecular Biology Award
- 2023 Daniel. E Little Award for Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service
- First Place at the 2023 UM-Dearborn Policy Pitch Competition 
- 2022 New Outstanding Student Award
- 2022 Stellantis Student Awards Recipient
- 2022 Emerging Leader Certificate
 -2022 Freshmen William J. Branstrom Prize 
- Four-term James B. Angell Scholar

Future Physician

As a biochemistry student, one of Wasey’s career goals is to become a physician. With such a diverse background of study, Wasey says his medical mission is to, “understand the political, economic, social, cultural/anthropological, and even biological contexts surrounding people, places, and phenomena, and to engage in such structures in a manner that is beneficial for all.”

His unique blend of specialties has led him to a holistic view of medicine that will undoubtedly lead to incredible caregiving and discoveries in the future.

“My faculty in the biochemistry department has nurtured within me a great respect for scientific academia and research conduct; I consider my biochemistry faculty giants in their field who have imparted their scientific knowledge and hidden curriculum onto me,” he says. “Anthropology has pushed me to challenge my every cultural assumption, and my anthropology faculty have facilitated that and instilled a love within me for the field.”

Leadership on Campus

Since his first few days at UM-Dearborn, Wasey has served as a senator in UM-Dearborn’s  Student Government in various committees and has become the longest-serving member within the current legislative session. He also has served as the Pre-Medical Chair for the Pre-Professional Health Society (PPHS), Secretary for the Public Health Society (PHS), Event Coordinator for the Biology Club, Treasurer for RISE, and Public Relations for the Hyderabadi Student Association (HSA). He is a member of numerous organizations including professional societies such as the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and has built extensive relationships with various aspects of the campus community from senior administration to his peers.

In the Winter 2023 semester, Wasey had the idea to merge multiple, smaller pre-medical student clubs under an umbrella organization called “The Pre-Med Collective.” This initiative made it easier to plan events among the individual organization board leaders and created a more holistic community among the pre-med students at UM-Dearborn.

The Pre-Med Collective has grown to over 300 students. In Fall 2023, the group hosted a collaboration between 17 pre-health and natural science organizations from four Southeast Michigan universities called the "MMSS: Michigan Medical School Series." The event hosted medical students from five medical schools who sat on panels and shared their journeys with the over 200 pre-medical student participants who registered.

An abstract highlighting the Michigan Medical School Series (MMSS) has been accepted for a poster presentation at the University of Michigan Medical School 2024 Diversity in Medicine (DiM) Conference. Wasey is additionally listed as a co-author on a poster presented at the Dermatology Interest Group Association conference and one presented by Dr. Wessam Elmeligi, Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, at the Engagement Scholarship Consortium International Conference. He has also co-authored published peer-reviewed scientific articles in the International Journal of Dermatology.