Sowda Ahmed

*Minnesota Scholarship

Marhaba! My name is Sowda Ahmed and I am a 2nd year student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development with a minor in Management. I am very involved with student groups like the University Honors Student Association, the Somali Student Association, and Be the Match on Campus. Currently, I work in a research lab studying congenital Cytomegalovirus. In the future, I am interested in going to medical school but also continuing research in health disparities. I would like to give back to my community by being advocates for those who are neglected by the healthcare system. I am a first generation college student and the first person in my family who has even dreamed of studying abroad in a different country. Spring of 2016, I will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates to study at the American University of Sharjah. During my trip, I plan on volunteering at an orphanage, learning more about the healthcare system in the UAE and the research that professors are doing at the University.