When Mst Begum opened her Harvard acceptance letter, she was in shock.
“Harvard had always been a dream that felt out of reach,” she said.
The Hamtramck High School senior is the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants and the first in her family to go to college. Growing up in a low-income household where her parents never attended college, even applying to school felt far away.
“Neither of my parents went to college, so just having the chance to go anywhere was already a big deal,” she said.
Despite those challenges, Begum applied to 20 universities—including Ivy League schools—and was accepted to Harvard College, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, UC San Diego, Wayne State University, and more.
She chose Harvard, where she was awarded a full ride. The university is offering $93,734 per year in aid, including the prestigious $55,000 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship.
“When I told my parents, they didn’t even know what Harvard was,” she said. “But once they realized what had happened, they were incredibly proud.”
Begum plans to major in Neuroscience with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy, hoping to tackle global health disparities and improve women’s health access around the world.
Her journey was far from easy. Since her parents speak limited English, Begum often had to handle school responsibilities and the college application process alone.
“These challenges taught me how to be resilient and independent,” she shared.
Outside the classroom, her work speaks volumes. To combat stigma in South Asian communities around sun safety and uplift Muslim representation, she self-published a children’s book titled Sun-Kissed, available on Amazon and in local libraries. She’s read the book to over 200 children in schools and community centers.
She also interned with Eastern Michigan University’s Breast & Cervical Cancer Program, helping enroll low-income Bangladeshi women in free health screenings and nutrition education. That work spanned from 9th through 12th grade.
As a researcher in the Biomedical Career Advancement Pipeline (BCAP) Program, Begum studied stress responses in embryonic stem cells—contributing to research later submitted to PubMed.
At school, she held multiple leadership roles—President of the National Honor Society, Medical Explorers, Social Justice, and Art Club. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Youth Advisory Board for the nonprofit Women of Banglatown.
Her advice for others:
“Never limit yourself. Ask questions. Don’t fear failure—it’s how you grow.”
