What is your background?: I was born in Arizona to a Muslim immigrant family, both my parents coming from the Middle East. I have two brothers who I love (but would never admit that to them), and we all moved here to Cedar Rapids over ten years ago! After elementary school, I was homeschooled and took concurrent enrollment classes through Kirkwood from my sophomore year, until I graduated high school.
What brought you to Kirkwood and why?: I initially chose Kirkwood due to the dual enrollment being free for me and attempting to save my family and myself as much money as possible. Over time, I stuck with Kirkwood because of the amazing faculty here and how everyone legitimately wants to help in any way possible. My own personal slogan for Kirkwood: “Kirkwood puts the community in community college”.
What is your program of study and what interests you about it?: I am an Engineering Transfer Major, pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. What interests me most about Biomedical Engineering is the beautiful merge between technology and the human body, both of which interest me immensely, particularly how the applications of technology can be adjusted to accommodate the intricacies of our bodies.
Are you involved in anything else on campus? If so, what and why?: I am involved in Student Ambassadors, LSAMP, STEM Club, and Activities Council. I absolutely love meeting new people and making a difference where I can, as well as taking advantage of any opportunities that come my way to push my future career as far forward as possible. After all, I am in college to one day have a career, might as well prepare myself.
Are you involved in anything off of campus?: I love to regularly donate blood at ImpactLife Blood Center (definitely not just for the cookies). Thus far, I have donated 4 gallons since I started donating three years ago!
What do you do for fun?: If music is playing, just about anything can be fun! But without music playing, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, building 3D models, reading books (especially autobiographies), and baking.
Where do you see yourself in five years?: In five years, I hope to be thriving in the MedTech industry and building a multitude of life changing devices, and maybe I’ll have donated 10 gallons of blood by then!