HCC gives her anew outlook
Student finds success through James W. Rouse Scholars honors program at Howard Community College
Sarah Ahmed was 9 years old when she and her family moved from the United Arab Emirates to the United States, where the first-generation Pakistani American became the first in her family to enter this country’s education system.
She thrived in Howard County’s school system, graduating in 2015 in the top 8 percent of her class at Reservoir High.
But she felt her educational path had reached a standstill when her dream college, American University, was not financially feasible. She said she initially had a poor impression of community colleges — but wound up finding a rewarding path for herself through opportunities at Howard Community College, where she received her associate degree last week.
Ahmed acknowledges her first impression of community college was that it was for students who didn’t get into a four-year university.
Now, she said, “I can honestly say that I was completely wrong.”
Her two-year run as part of HCC’s James W. Rouse Scholars honors program earned Ahmed a full two-year scholarship to the University of Maryland, where she’ll begin this fall.
Although she received an associate degree in social sciences, Ahmed says she plans to become a government and politics major, with a concentration in international relations.
During her senior year at Reservoir, Ahmed recalled getting help with the college application process from school counselors, including financial aid and scholarship options. But with a class of 360 students, there was only so much they could do, she said.
“I felt like I was really going through that process alone,” Ahmed said. “Then, it was extremely stressful because I was always getting questions from my parents about, ‘How much money do you need? What needs to happen next?’ Those were questions that I couldn’t answer by myself.”
Ahmed applied to HCC and was accepted into the scholars program. The program requires students to earn at least a 3.2 grade-point average and have a combined SAT score of1650 or better, or an ACT composite score of 25 or better.
An essay and recommendations are also required to participate in the program’s honors and advanced placement courses.
“I felt like I had a second chance of doing the whole college process all over again,”
Ahmed said. “There was always someone telling me about scholarships and helping me find the perfect fit for me. I got that support that I needed to be successful in my college career and beyond.”
One of the most notable experiences she had was serving an internship during the 2016 legislative session with state Del.
Vanessa Atterbeary, who represents District 13 in Howard County.
Ahmed said she assisted in drafting correspondence for the district’s constitu-
She thrived in Howard County’s school system, graduating in 2015 in the top 8 percent of her class at Reservoir High.
But she felt her educational path had reached a standstill when her dream college, American University, was not financially feasible. She said she initially had a poor impression of community colleges — but wound up finding a rewarding path for herself through opportunities at Howard Community College, where she received her associate degree last week.
Ahmed acknowledges her first impression of community college was that it was for students who didn’t get into a four-year university.
Now, she said, “I can honestly say that I was completely wrong.”
Her two-year run as part of HCC’s James W. Rouse Scholars honors program earned Ahmed a full two-year scholarship to the University of Maryland, where she’ll begin this fall.
Although she received an associate degree in social sciences, Ahmed says she plans to become a government and politics major, with a concentration in international relations.
During her senior year at Reservoir, Ahmed recalled getting help with the college application process from school counselors, including financial aid and scholarship options. But with a class of 360 students, there was only so much they could do, she said.
“I felt like I was really going through that process alone,” Ahmed said. “Then, it was extremely stressful because I was always getting questions from my parents about, ‘How much money do you need? What needs to happen next?’ Those were questions that I couldn’t answer by myself.”
Ahmed applied to HCC and was accepted into the scholars program. The program requires students to earn at least a 3.2 grade-point average and have a combined SAT score of1650 or better, or an ACT composite score of 25 or better.
An essay and recommendations are also required to participate in the program’s honors and advanced placement courses.
“I felt like I had a second chance of doing the whole college process all over again,”
Ahmed said. “There was always someone telling me about scholarships and helping me find the perfect fit for me. I got that support that I needed to be successful in my college career and beyond.”
One of the most notable experiences she had was serving an internship during the 2016 legislative session with state Del.
Vanessa Atterbeary, who represents District 13 in Howard County.
Ahmed said she assisted in drafting correspondence for the district’s constitu-
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