As a first-generation student, Rabia Zahid constantly second-guessed her ability to excel in college. After starting school in Chicago, Zahid is not just finishing her education at Boise State, she is thriving and looking ahead to graduate school.
Zahid found her confidence and drive to succeed after arriving at Boise State and being introduced to the McNair Scholars Program. “After getting accepted to the program, my academic career took off,” said Zahid. “I went from being a student who came to class and left right after, to someone who was meeting with professors, diving into research project ideas and taking opportunities like becoming a teaching assistant.”
A psychology major with a minor in family studies, Zahid is currently applying to graduate programs to become a school psychologist, and hopes to earn a doctoral degree in child and human development and learning. Like many first-generation students who have faced adversity to get into college, Zahid would like to focus her future research endeavors on understanding and giving back to students who have backgrounds like hers.
“I would like my doctoral research to focus on individual and environmental factors that promote healthy development and academic success in marginalized youth from low-income backgrounds,” said Zahid. “I want to focus on how marginalized communities navigate and experience educational spaces.”