We stand on the shoulders of those before us.

“This quote has made a deep impression upon me because I truly believe that who I am and where I am now comes from the goodness of those surrounding me.

“I was born and raised in Pakistan, but my wanderlust and my pursuit of higher education brought me to the U.S. after high school, all by myself. I landed in Houston, Texas where I did my B.S. in Biology.

"My whole body felt itchy, bumps were popping up on my back, my face swelled up like a hot air balloon… What could it be? On Jan. 21, 2017, and again on Feb. 4, 2017, I had anaphylactic allergic reactions and was driven to the ER by my fiancé.

“Ive always been fascinated with what people do for work. It’s what led me to explore a myriad of career options.

“I have been a nurse for over 40 years and a nurse practitioner for more than 20. I am a double alumna of UCSF, MS 1996, PhD 2012, and have been teaching in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program since 2000.

“I’m from the east coast and never ever in my dreams thought I’d come out here. My whole immediate family is in New England. We could talk to each other out the window if we want to. My mom said, ‘don’t ever look at the Pacific.

“Before beginning my path toward dentistry I lived in New York City. My friend and her coworker were visiting from Arizona and we met up for drinks. Happy hour turned into ‘regular hour,’ which then turned into a week of showing off the city.

“This past summer, my classmate, Tammy McCall, and I had the exciting opportunity to complete our health policy internship in Norway from June through August.

“I love to escape the masses, put on a backpack and explore the mountains, or pick up and move to a new place where I don’t know a soul. It’s thrilling to feel so vulnerable.