At CU, Nadeen Ibrahim embraces our differences

The Undergraduate Honors Program (UHL) at the University of Colorado Denver unites students from all walks of life to form a multi-cultural student community that is welcoming to all students and brimming with different perspectives.

Take the case of Nadeen Ibrahim.

Ibrahim’s childhood was different. When she was only 7 months old, her family moved from Jerusalem to the United States, eventually settling in a small rural community in Northeast Colorado.

Despite being the only Muslim family in Wiggins, Colorado, during a time when it was not easy to practice Islam in America, Ibrahim thrived, taking the opportunity to share her culture, her beliefs and her compassion with the community.

“I fell in love with the great diversity of the world,” she explains. “You saw people from all different walks of life. All different parts of the world came by the convenience store.”

Nadeen shares her culture and compassion with the community

Ibrahim’s experience shaped her worldview today. So it’s not surprising that, when it came to choosing a college program, she was drawn to CU’s (UHL) program.

Steve Medema, Ph.D., explains the program “attempts to expose students to interdisciplinary modes of thinking, where instead of taking courses in a single discipline, you are looking at topics and issues from a variety of perspectives, pulling from here and there—recognizing that many of the problems we face in contemporary society are incredibly complex.”

Learning to tackle complex problems has served Ibrahim well. While preparing for the medical college admissions test (MCAT), Ibrahim spends her time serving on the state Board of Health, advising on matters of public health throughout Colorado. Appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper, she is the youngest member ever to serve the board.

Ibrahim credits her success—in academics and in life—to her community, “whether it be the students I come in contact with, the phenomenal professors that I get to call my mentors… or just being part of the campus itself, where it fosters that sense of community building.”

Mentors like Dr. Medema help Nadeen to thrive

Thankful for the support she’s received from her community, Ibrahim hopes that her success can inspire others at home and throughout the community she’s built in Denver.

“I grew up in a rural community, working in a gas station, as the only Muslim family there. But I never let that limit me. And not having that limit me allowed me to come to the University of Colorado Denver, and to have the aspiration to become a doctor, where I am now studying for my MCAT.”

Her key message?

“Never let your circumstances limit you.”