APS Cool Kid: Ruqiyah Mukarram Combines Passion for Public Service with Love of Science

Ruqiyah Mukarram (right), used Giving Point to launch her exploration of international public service and science at Carver School of Health Sciences.

Ruqiyah Mukarram is currently a junior at The New Schools at Carver School of Health Sciences and Research. In her own words she talks about her love of science and future career plans.

Cesar Chavez once said, “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” I became interested in the medical field when I was in middle school. During my seventh grade year, I took life science and discovered the nervous system.  I developed the urge to explore the heart of a human. However, after discovering the expenses of it, I decided to order the heart of a cow instead.

Towards the end of my middle school career, I learned about the Fulton County Global Youth Leadership Program. In the Fulton County Global Youth Leadership Program, they take students that attend public schools in Atlanta to various countries to study abroad. However, my goal was to study abroad for a year, and they only allow their students to stay for a certain amount of time.  Therefore, I made it my goal to get to Senegal, West Africa. I created numerous fundraisers and sent letters to organizations and companies, and raised $13,000. On July 27^th  my sister and I departed to Senegal, West Africa. I stayed in a village called Medina Baye, where I volunteered at a clinic. At the clinic, I delivered and vaccinated babies, treated flesh wounds and treated patients with malaria. Through GivingPoint, I was able to record more than 200 hours of community service.  Today, I have more than 600 volunteer hours logged through GivingPoint.

Through Carver School of Health Sciences and Research, I am able to enhance my knowledge in medicine because of their curriculum and programs. In the future, I plan on getting my Doctorate degree, specializing in the brain, and becoming a neurosurgeon at Stanford University.

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