- Major: Mathematics & Science
- High School: PSLA at Fowler, class of 2018
Nidaa Aljabarrin's career aspirations are motivated by family tragedy. While growing up in Syria one of her brothers died from asthma. "Because of the war we couldn't take him to the hospital. He had a genetic disease which we couldn't treat. I want to help families going through things like this and find cures for them."
Aljabarrin moved to the United States in 2016 along with her parents and nine siblings. She finished her last two years of high school at PSLA at Fowler. Arabic was her native language. She mastered English by going to the North Side Learning Center every day after school. "There were tutors there who helped me a lot. I was around English-speaking people more than I would have been had I stayed at home after school."
Her academic performance in high school was so strong that after receiving her diploma in 2018 she enrolled at OCC as a member of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College. She attended the College tuition-free and also became a member of OCC's chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa where she serves as co-vice president for scholarship. "It gave me a team to be a part of. It's challenging here but you have enough resources to be successful. We all have similar classes and have each other's backs."
Aljabarrin's goal is to pursue a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, then focus on clinical genetics in medical school. "Being in a family where you see your brothers struggling makes me want to help other families."
She will earn her associate degree in May along with her twin sister. Aljabarrin is a semi-finalist for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholarship. Recipients will receive up to $40,000 per year to attend a four-year college.
