Dr. Ahmad’s Nomination
Dr. Afra Ahmad has been an excellent mentor to me for two years and counting! She supervised my undergraduate honors thesis, allowing me to design my own study and really take ownership of the project. She balances my ownership of the project well with her guidance and expertise, always helping me grow my knowledge and experience, but never taking over. From using her URSP funds to support my attendance to our field’s yearly conference to encouraging me to apply to six grants (five of which I was awarded) to sending me internship and conference opportunities, Afra is always putting my needs first and providing me with opportunities.
I transitioned into a doctoral program this fall, and I have Dr. Ahmad to thank for that. When we began working on my undergraduate thesis together, I was unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation. Dr. Ahmad waited patiently for me to discover my passion for research by always telling me I was capable of flourishing in a doctoral program, but never pushing me to choose one way or another. Although she knew that I was uncertain about my future path, she continued to present me with opportunity after opportunity that became the basis of my CV. I am so grateful to Dr. Ahmad for seeing the potential in me and providing me with her expertise and the opportunities that come from her vast network. My graduation from undergrad provided an excellent opportunity to reflect over what my mentorship with Dr. Ahmad produced: due to our research, I was awarded the OSCAR student excellence award, the Jeanne C. Mellinger award, and the CHSS outstanding student award. Even though I have always been a good student, I never would have achieved these awards without the direction and expertise with which Dr. Ahmad guided my scholarship.
Now that I am a graduate student, Dr. Ahmad and I continue to collaborate on multiple projects even though her administrative position does not allow her to accept doctoral students. In one of our collaborations, Dr. Ahmad is mentoring me on how to mentor younger students. She is mentoring a new undergraduate honors student, and she has included me in a role similar to that of a committee member. In learning how to mentor from Dr. Ahmad, I am excited to give back to my community and continue her legacy of undergraduate mentorship as her mentorship has been so impactful for my life.