Halimo-Shukri Farah

In October 2005, Halimo-Shukri and her family immigrated to San Diego from Nairobi, Kenya. Being an immigrant with no prior understanding of the English language, she had difficulty assimilating into the American culture. “I struggled with the language and was placed in ESL classes, then had tutoring before and after school.” She eventually caught up and then performed above her grade level. In high school she challenged herself by taking AP classes and continued to improve. “With this mindset, I entered college, ready to tackle any obstacle that I encountered. Having no education brought instability; however, working to be at one of the top universities in this country, I attained stability and ensured that my future is in my hands.”

Over the summer, Halimo had the opportunity to be a Life Science Summer Intern. “I learned invaluable skills and developed a research project focusing on leukemia cell lines. This experience helped me realize my love for working in a lab while continuing with my passion for medicine.” The internship ignited a fire within her that continues to grow as she continues to learn, making Halimo more determined to further her education. “My goal is to become a Physician’s Assistant where I can work with a non-profit organization to provide medical assistance to help families like ours who are disadvantaged from receiving quality, affordable healthcare. I ultimately aim to help prosper my community of City Heights which is one of the poorest communities in San Diego. I plan to not only provide affordable healthcare but also incorporate preventive health education to teach people about the importance of healthy habits which, hopefully, will lead to more lives being saved and less financial burdens on community members.”