My father was always a passionate advocate for education, and this one particular belief of his that all children, regardless of gender, should be given access to the highest-quality education one could afford.
Of course growing up, I found these words seriously migraine-inducing. But the mentality was revolutionary in the Bangladesh of the 1980’s where even some of the most wealthiest families pushed marriage on their daughters almost immediately after high-school graduation.
My father’s passion, with my older sister’s guidance, is what brought me to the University of Virginia (UVA). Everyone says I am so dramatic, but it cannot be emphasized enough how much this school changed my life, my interests, and how UVA really brought out my intellectual self.
And it brought some of my best friends in the world into my life, and of course introduced me to Charlottesville, Virginia Thomas Jefferson’s academical village.
Watch me chat with personal branding, UVA, my student days and more with Ryan Catherwood, Director of Engagement Strategy at UVA.