Journey of AUW students gaining the highest latin honor award

 By Nuzaba Tasannum & Alma Ali Chowdhury

Ruhama’s Journey of Earning the Highest Latin Honor in AUW 

“I always wanted to choose ‘Business’ as my major but the closest thing to it in AUW was ‘Economics’. However, during my first year in AUW in 2016, I was excited to start a new phase of my life. Although it was difficult for me to adapt in a new environment with new people, my extroverted attitude enabled me to make friends and adjust swiftly,” said Ruhama Abedin, a fresh graduate of the Asian University for Women (AUW) from the Class of 2020. Ruhama majored in Economics with Finance as her minor. Nevertheless, she has become an embodiment of a role model for young AUWians for earning the Summa cum laude, the highest Latin honor awarded for achieving a CGPA above 3.9. When asked about her feelings after earning such a prestigious award, she stated, “At first I could not believe that I achieved this honorable award. I was really happy and proud of myself that my hard work paid off.” Looking back at her glorious journey in AUW, she detailed that she gained remarkable experiences in her university life, like, organizing several events including MUN, AUWIV2020 (debate tournament), and many more. Consequently, she expressed her gratitude to AUW for those opportunities because they facilitated her in developing her confidence and leadership skills. Besides, she is eternally grateful to all of her professors for their constant support and help. 

In addition to her prominent academic achievement and organizing skills, she took part in two internships during her AUW life and was a peer tutor in the ‘Science & Math Center’ as well as a Teaching Assistant (TA) of ‘Principles of Microeconomics’ and ‘Basic Economics’. She did not have much idea about the Human Resource (HR) department but by working in the HR of renowned companies BSRM and Ispahani Group during her internship, she learned a lot and gathered immense experience. She also claimed that the fact that AUW has helped and provided opportunities to the underprivileged people of the country motivated her to help them when she will be earning and capable enough. She is very passionate to do something for the underprivileged people of the country and eradicate poverty through her learning from Economics. During recalling her days in AUW she mentioned that she will miss her friends and everyone she encountered in AUW including her supportive professors. Nonetheless, what she will miss the most is her ‘chilling in Cinematella and Science & Math Center’. Ruhama indicated that she never imagined finishing her university life staying in quarantine and not having a proper graduation ceremony but she has bigger dreams now. She is planning to pursue her Master’s Degree abroad next year. When asked about her advice to the aspiring young AUWians, she said, “Do not work so much that you will not have any time to enjoy. You are only young, once, and make sure you handle both your studies and social life properly.” We wish her all the best for fulfilling her passion and achieving greater things in life. 

A journey of a double major graduate student, earning the Highest Latin Honor in AUW

With enormous university pressure and never-ending exams and assignments, doing a double major in science surely needs extreme hard work and pure dedication. Zuhairia Ibnat, a fresh graduate of 2020 managed not only to do a double major in Environmental Science and Bioinformatics but also earned the highest Latin honor of Summa Cum Laude with a CGPA above 3.9. When she was in her first year, the concept of double major and a new major named Bioinformatics was introduced. To satisfy her interest, she started taking a few courses in Bioinformatics and to her surprise, she enjoyed studying those and wanted to continue taking more courses in Bioinformatics. At that time she decided to go for a double major. When asked about how she managed the pressure of a double major, she said, “Doing a double major means extra hours of classes. I had classes and labs almost the whole day from Sunday to Thursday. I did not have much time for myself or my family. There were days when I got out of the house at 7:30 in the morning and came back at 10:00 pm after my classes. All in all, I had to sacrifice my free time to cope up with the extra hours.” Zuhairia also mentioned that it wasn’t just one person who contributed to her achievement. “I had really good professors. They have always encouraged me to aim bigger. But more than that they have always kept me sane. There were times when the pressure builds up too much and staying motivated seems impossible let alone getting good grades. In those times they have always listened to my rants and even advised me to prioritize my mental health over my grades. They were indeed the guidepost for me in the last 4 years” says Zuhairia. 

Understanding the importance of extracurricular activities she engaged herself in club activities amidst her enormous study pressure. She was the President of the AUW Entrepreneurship Club, the Head of PR of AUWMUN Club, organizer of events such as  ICNST, AUWIMUN, Photocarnival, Halloween, Lunar new year, Christmas, and many more.  These extracurricular activities made her the AUW journey more fruitful and fun. She also did two internships in CVASU and ICDDRB respectively which helped her gain some experience in the practical world. When asked about her words of motivation for the aspiring students of AUW, she said, “One thing that I have always believed is to follow my heart. I would suggest everyone do that as well. If you are thinking of a double major then proceed in that path only if you want it. Do not do it because your friends are doing it or your parents asked you to. If you do not have the motivation within yourself, continuing in this hectic path will become a burden to you. Let your heart be your biggest motivation.” Now as a fresh graduate, Zuhairia is planning to continue her education at graduate school, and in the future, she aims to work experience in Biotech companies. We must say that students like Zuhairia are an inspiration for the girls who wants to pursue their career in science.