Pakistani student finds `accepting community' at Brandeis
It was such a big move for her that Tania Shahid did everything but tip toe onto Brandeis's campus when she arrived four years ago. She ventured from Pakistan to the United States to enroll as a freshman with a double major in biology and economics.
"Sometimes you take a step not knowing what the consequences will be but at the end of the journey you understand why it was necessary to take the step," she said. Leaving behind family and friends, Shahid immersed herself in campus life without abandoning her strong sense of self. As a member of the Muslim Student Association at Brandeis she is interested in creating awareness about her culture and learning more about different beliefs.
"There is an accepting community at Brandeis that allows you to build strong relationships regardless of religion, background or race," said Shahid. "I've never felt out of place."
As a resident assistant and undergraduate departmental representative, Shahid also cultivates a different kind of understanding by listening to other students and helping them adjust to student life. Her willingness to listen and embrace diversity has allowed her to take on many roles.
During her junior year she was selected to particiapte in the cooperative exchange at the University College London in UK. There she was actively involved in the Pakistan Cultural Society. While at the University she also worked at the National Museum of Science and Industry.
"Initially I was apprehensive of leaving Brandeis for one year and following a different set of curriculum in London," said Shahid. "But it was easy to apply skills used at Brandeis both at the university and with work at the museum."
Sophomore year she was awarded a fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), which allowed her to work with Chris Miller, professor of biochemistry and Howard Hughes Institute Investigator and Nicholas Grigorieff, W.M. Keck Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center , and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Assistant Investigator. Her work with the Brandeis team exposed her to pioneering work using electron microscopy to further research within molecular neurobiology and for understanding ion channels, the membrane proteins that mediate the generation, propagation, and integration of electrical signals in neurons, muscles, and other cells.
"Brandeis's campus may be small but the people here empower you to succeed and accomplish anything you want to," said Shahid. "That's a bigger concept than the scope of any campus."