When Fatima Bahary’s family came to the United States in 1992, her native country Afghanistan had just survived 10 years of Soviet occupation, and her parents desired a better way of life for their children. She was 4 years old when they initially settled in New York City.
In her early life; Fatima did not participate in social activities in high school. Her parents discouraged higher education and thought she should consider marriage after her high school graduation.
Fatima followed her parents’ advice. On a visit to Afghanistan in the summer of 2005, she became engaged; in 2007 she wed in what was essentially an “arranged marriage.” Her son was born in 2008. Fatima started at Middlesex in spring 2011, and as she matured, she realized the importance of education for a woman. And her academic career flourished.
She became the president of the Muslim Student Association, one of the most active clubs on campus; a student orientation leader; a Phi Theta Kappa officer; a peer mentor in the Office of Minority Student Affairs; and the Student Government Association president. As the recipient of several academic scholarships, Fatima graduated in May 2013 with a 3.8 GPA in Allied Health Technology.
Now a student at Rutgers, Fatima majors in the nutrition program and plans to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in this field. Now a single mother, Fatima works, raises her son, and pursues an education; she relies on the leadership skills she learned at MCC and the confidence gained through success. Her Muslim religion guides her choices.
