Rashid Awale

Motivations

Rashid is a young man of Somali heritage who grew up in Sheffield after arriving as a refugee. His journey has instilled in him a deep connection to his roots and a strong desire to help those who are less privileged, especially within the Somali community. Rashid's primary motivation is to help people who are unwell. While he initially thought this meant becoming a doctor, he is now exploring other ways to achieve this goal. He is considering various career paths within the medical biosciences that would allow him to make a meaningful impact on people's lives. He has found unexpected joy in his studies, particularly in the Statistics module. This newfound interest has made him reconsider his initial plan to apply for postgraduate medicine upon graduation. While he is still figuring out his exact career path, he is open to different opportunities that align with his passion for helping others and making a difference.

Frustrations

Rashid initially felt frustrated when he didn't get into medicine, his dream field. He feels like he has let down his family, who he believes have sacrificed so much for his education. He is also having some trouble adjusting to the teaching on BMB, particularly how often they are expected to work in teams. He finds it frustrating when others don’t understand something as quickly as he does, but also finds they aren’t always open to having him explain something to them. Additionally, he finds it difficult when there are members of his team who are less motivated than he is, and don’t contribute to discussions, making it hard work to progress on the tasks set in class.

He’s also finding it frustrating understanding what other careers he could do with his BMB degree. He knows there are lots of roles out there but he’s struggling to know where to look and how to understand what he’d do within these roles which makes it harder to make a decision.