Zahra Hussain

Student Profile: Zahra Hussain

With a passion for people and problem-solving, Zahra Hussain’s symptoms can only mean one thing: a lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. She says she has known she wanted to pursue this career path since she was 4 years old.

“My dad is a doctor, and so is everyone else in my family: aunts, uncles, cousins,” she says. “Growing up in that atmosphere, it was easy to figure out that it was what I wanted to do as well.”

Zahra Hussain '13

Zahra Hussain ’13

Alma College’s integrative physiology and health science program is helping Hussain examine her dream more closely. She says she chose this as her major knowing that it would prepare her for medical school. The professors are a bonus.

“Once you get to know the IPHS professors, there’s no intimidation,” she says. “They’re so fun, so outgoing, and so helpful—whether it’s about class, research or big questions about life.”

But Hussain doesn’t limit her love of people to Alma. She’s hoping a Posey Global Fellowship will give her the opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage and hospital outside of the United States. She also has other international aspirations.

“Once I become a physician, I want to travel to Pakistan and help promote health awareness and provide medical care,” she says. “I’m Pakistani, so it’s very important for me to give back to the country and the people there.”

 

Colleges of Distinction, a national college guide for students, parents and counselors, identifies Alma College as "one of the best places to learn, grow and succeed." The Colleges of Distinction publication recognizes institutions for their commitment to engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.

 

Graduate Profile

Dr. Dave Sherwood
Graduation: 1985
Major: Biology and Art

Dave Sherwood was helping his brother pack when he came across an old paper from high school. Written when he was 17, it described what he thought his life would be like in 15 years.

He was shocked to find the paper actually described his current life.

Sherwood works as a doctor in the small mountain community of Ouray, Colo., where he lives with his wife and three children.