Eight years ago, Toheed Zaman, her mother and three sisters moved to the United States, leaving their father in Pakistan. “Education was the main reason. My mom wanted me and all of my siblings to have the best education.”
Her parents didn’t go to college, and they wanted their daughters to have more. “My dad always said education is everything. When you have education, you have this powerful tool that can do anything.” And what Zaman wants to do is help people.
Zaman says she always wanted to be a doctor. “When people are sick, they sometimes lose hope; and for me becoming a surgeon is about giving people hope.”
She dreamed of starting that journey at High Point University, and the Say Yes Guilford scholarship made that possible. “When I applied, I did not know that I would get the full scholarship, so for me it was a life-changing moment.”
The High Point Central graduate doesn’t plan to waste one moment going for her dream, and she has advice for others doing the same. “You have the ability to make your dream come alive. Always believe in yourself, go for it. Keep pushing yourself.”