Kaashifah, an international student from Vijayawada, a small city in India, is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Education – Equity, Diversity and Language Education. After graduating from medical school in 2018, she took a bold step to relocate to Reno.
Anticipated to graduate in either Spring or Fall of 2026 with her doctorate in Education, Kaashifah envisions a future as a professor at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno, expressing her love for both the city and the University. Her interests extend to contributing to legislative offices within the education sector. Kaashifah also earned a master of science degree in Biostatistics from the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno in 2021.
As the first woman in her family to venture abroad and a first-generation student, Kaashifah aims to inspire women in her community. Reflecting on her decision to pursue her doctoral degree in the United States, she expressed, “Women should not cut off their wings because of societal norms or stereotypes, which is very common in India. With the same aspiration, I made it to the United States in the fall of 2019 to live my American dream.”
It wasn't easy for Kaashifah to come to the United States. "My whole family, except my mother, was against my aspiration to live my American dream," Kaashifah said. "They were against this because they were scared as no one from my family had traveled abroad, where we didn't have any family members or friends to take care of me.
"Second, it is our Indian Muslim community norm that women should either stay with their family or with their husbands. Hence, I was being forced to get married and then come to the United States. But I did not submit to it; I fought my way through it and reassured my family that I would be safe in the States and that I would not get myself into trouble. It was like a war that went on and on for nearly five to six months."
Despite initial opposition from her family and cultural norms pressuring her to marry before pursuing her dreams in the United States, Kaashifah persevered. Overcoming these challenges, she shifted her focus from practicing medicine to earning a doctorate in education, driven by a passion to be a voice for students facing barriers to higher education.
In her quest for education in the United States, Kaashifah found a guiding light in Donald Easton-Brooks, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education & Human Development, who became her mentor. Since 2021, she has served as his graduate assistant, contributing to data analysis for the Dean's Future Scholar (DFS) program.
Kaashifah is also is working with Jennifer McClendon, M.S.W, Ph.D., associate professor of human development and family science, on analyzing per pupil spending in state of ÁùºÏ±¦µä. The project is sponsored by the ÁùºÏ±¦µä Department of Education in association with the Guinn Center.
Being drawn to quantitative data, Kaashifah's favorite courses at the University have been taught by Leping Liu, Ph.D., professor of quantitative methods and learning sciences. She also enjoyed the Social Justice and Education course by Rose Ann Gutierrez, Ph.D., assistant professor of equity and diversity in education. Kaashifah expressed, "The course was actually an eye-opener for me through the given readings. I loved the way the course was designed with very gripping content."
Her involvement as the vice president of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) in 2020-2021 and as the COO and VP of the National Association of Graduate Professionals' Students (NAGPS) in 2021 reflects her commitment to student leadership.
Beyond academics, Kaashifah enjoys art, dancing, cooking, interior design, henna tattooing and hairstyling. In 2022, she married Shoaib Ahmed and is currently a finalist for Haut Monde presents Mrs. India Worldwide 2024.
Offering advice to fellow international students, Kaashifah shared her motto: "Grind. Grow. Gratitude. Grind in work, Grow with that hard work and always show Gratitude as you grow. If you dreamt it, you can do it." Her journey exemplifies resilience, determination, and a commitment to breaking barriers in pursuit of one's dreams.
