Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I feel like a lot of students here are just like me.
When I meet people here, students,
I can find a lot -- having a lot in common with them.
Either I find out that they're Indian, but they're Muslim.
I'm like, "Oh, I am Muslim, too!"
Or they're Persian and then they're Jewish.
And then I share something with else with them.
So, absolutely I feel like I can connect
in different ways with students here.
Well, I always liked chemistry, physics, science subjects in general.
I'm more fond of the human body, so biology was more familiar to me.
I did research with Dr. Oppenheimer.
I really enjoyed just being part of his lectures
and part of his class and his research team.
He was a great inspiration for a lot of us, not just me.
He teaches you in a way that it sticks.
So when I was taking my dental admission exam,
and I would get questions related to cancer or embryology,
I would remember the way he said it.
He teaches science in a very fun way.
I started off by volunteering with Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.
And I got in touch with a lot of parents.
They told me that they didn't have any programs for the teens.
So I talked to Gail Williamson, the Director of Down Syndrome Association.
I asked her if I could start a program myself.
A lot of those kids went to regular high schools.
They would not to be able to socialize the same way as the other kids
and they would feel left out.
So we took this opportunity to just make them feel
like every other typical teenager.
They loved it. The kids loved it. We loved it.
The volunteers actually felt like they were doing something meaningful.
I'm sad that I have to leave here.
It's almost turned into like a second home.
I spend a lot of time here. I spend a lot of time in the library,
and it's a bittersweet moment I guess.
(music)