My partner’s name is Moaz Shoaib. He is 19 years old, and this is his second semester at GSU. He is from Pakistan but moved here in his senior year and graduated High School meaning he spent most of his adolescence in Pakistan. He can also speak three different languages which are English, Urdu, and Punjabi. The senior year in high school was very difficult for him but the day he graduated he was full of motivation, and he was eager to continue his studies. He said he felt as if he had overcome all odds and doubters the second, he held his High School diploma. The trials and tribulations he had to overcome just to be standing on that graduation stage with his peers is something unimaginable to us. He described his academic self as logical, perseverant, and having a problem-solving attitude.
He is majoring in Biology, and he wants to become a doctor. He hasn’t decided what he is going to specialize in, but he said he will make up his mind along the way. His post GSU plans are to go to medical school and pursue a MD. He said his personality aligns with this profession because of his critical thinking process and his ability to see a single situation from multiple angles and provide multiple solutions.
He explained himself as an athletic person and a fan of sports. He plays cricket which is like baseball but does have a few major differences. He told me he is very good at cricket and can also play baseball, football, and soccer. He told me growing up playing sports taught him a lot of lessons. It taught him to be consistent and put one hundred percent every time into everything you do. He says this is also how approaches academics because academics and athletics aren’t all that different. The time and effort you put into whatever is the result you will get. He also told me the best way to make friends and build bonds is through sports since it teaches teamwork skills and promotes being “like-minded” to reach a goal. Often going through that with a group a people give you something in common and a friendship can sprout from that.
One of the interesting things he told me is about his favorite subject which is math. He said he likes math because math requires you to think very critically and through multiple steps before getting to a solution. This also explains the abilities that describes his academic self which are problem solving attitude and being curious. He also likes sports which requires a lot of practice and repetition to be able to play those specific sports and be a master at them. He said he likes to do things again and again to become a master at his craft.
I asked him about his favorite books, and one of his favorite books is 1984. He read that book in high school, and he loved it. He told me the reason why he liked that book is because it was about the system and how system is always watching people, and the people try to fight system. He said questioning is important because it can help with self-reflection and to be more focused on your goals. I think that was the point where he developed his other ability about his academic self, which is being curious. This book inspired him to question everything around him and is also where he developed his critical thinking skills.
In conclusion, I think he is very well-rounded person. He has his goals set and he will not give up until he has achieved all the things, he will set out to do. He is a curious and critical thinker that does not always take information he receives at face value and will always question how credible the information he is receiving is. He also loves sports which means he is not all studies, but he can also switch to an athletic side. Moaz is a great student, athlete, and all around person
