Biochemistry pre-med major Hibah Ullah wants to make a difference on campus during her time as a Newman student. Being president of the Student Government Association (SGA) was important for Ullah. So important, she planned her class schedule around it. She said she has high hopes for making a difference in a variety of ways.
As SGA president, her main focus will be tackling diversity on campus and the celebration of different cultures.
Ullah said, “I feel like with everything that’s going on with the media right now, I feel like we have to get over the obstacles and the uninformed out there. I really want to bridge that gap and get rid of the ignorance that’s out there.”
Ullah was brought up in the United States, but her family raised her with their Pakistani culture and values in mind.
“The idea of family, heritage and celebrating culture is really important to me,” said Ullah. She added that she wants to share that ideology with Newman.
Her new role, she said, makes her family very proud.
“We are a Newman family,” Ullah said. “My mom graduated with a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies here in 2012. Three years ago, my sister graduated from the early elementary education program and won the 2013 Ablah Award.”
Her brother also attends, working on a major in pre-medicine biology.
Ullah also wants to be an example for other women with diverse cultural backgrounds.
“We’ve had extreme advances in the education in Pakistan,” she said. “Girls are being educated not just for domestic tasks but to stand in leadership and go to school and get involved with government.
“Women in leadership roles are a great many in my culture. We’ve been given the opportunity to speak up and that’s something that’s not happened in the past.”
After she’s done with her education, Ullah wants to continue to give back to her country by traveling to Pakistan and helping medically wherever she can.
“In the long run, I’ve been to Pakistan and have seen the way the medical world works there. I think it would be a valuable asset to have someone who has gone through rigorous training and education to go and give back to that society, maybe through Doctors Without Borders.”
Learn more about the Student Government Association
