Saher Hussain '20 Recruiting Profile

My name is Saher Hussain and I am an 11th Grade IB Diploma Programme student at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia.  Born on the outskirts of the Nation’s Capital  in Fairfax County, I am of Pakistani descent. Raised in a less than optimal setting, the first 9 years of my life saw me exposed to significant abuse. The details of these experiences is not only triggering but have set the backdrop for my choice of career, and academic aspirations. As an ethnic minority female, I am acutely aware that the only way the playing field will ever be leveled is through education; thus as a South Asian female, who is constantly battling the odds of my white and wealthy counterparts, I am currently enrolled in all IB classes. My childhood experiences have exposed me to many mental healthcare professionals.  I am intrigued by the way the mind works, and would like to relate my experiential knowledge of domestic abuse to the treatment of survivors.  It is for this reason that I would like to be a psychiatrist. I have endured physical and psychological abuse since a very young age; hence I would like to especially work with domestic violence survivors since I believe that my level of empathy will allow me to provide a better and more thorough treatment plan.  To this effect, I am aiming to pursue a pre-med major, for example biology, biochemistry, or biomedical sciences. Since rebuilding our lives at the age of 9, I have been involved in advocating; whether for myself or my siblings, and now for the community in which I live. My family has been in and out of court since 2011, and due to the injustice of the court system my younger sister was taken from us to live with an abuser; the abuser that molested my brother. I am adamant when it comes to speaking my truth and making the world a better place. As an active Girl Scout, since the age of 9, I am currently working on my gold award. I am writing and illustrating a book about PTSD and I will be going to domestic violence centers and schools to share my story. At my school, I am a CONNECT ambassador. I welcome new students and do things such as give them tours, sit with them at lunch, and just make them comfortable. I am also assigned to mentor a freshman class, I become their point of contact, and help them to navigate high school life. I am a part of the rowing team at my school, I lettered in my sophomore year. I am a very hardworking student that is very persistent and won’t give up. Our struggles in the most formative years of our lives have shaped the reasons why my siblings and I aspire so highly. Our biggest inspiration, our mum, has told us, “these calamities will shape not the reasons for your downfall, but for your successes.” In spite of my experiences, I am a member, in good standing, of the National Honors Society, The English Honors Society, The History Honors Society, and The Science Honors Society.