Waqas Ahmed
“I think every kid thinks about going away for college, but when I visited Austin Peay, I fell in love with this place and its opportunities.”
Major: Biology/Pre-Med
Hometown: Clarksville, Tennessee
Involvement: Honors program, Golden Key honors society, Student Government Association, Pre-Professional
Health Society, Beta Beta Beta, Biology Honors Society, Affirmative Action Committee
Waqas Ahmed and his family left their native Pakistan when he was in fifth grade in search of opportunity.
The son of a doctor, Ahmed’s family found that opportunity in America — and Ahmed found the path to his future at Austin Peay State University.
“We belong to a minority that is persecuted in Pakistan, so there we weren’t able to be successful and belong to a minority at the same time,” Ahmed said. “There was a limit to our success, and that was why we came to America.”
Related:
- Biology major Hill excels in lab, dugout
- Lavelle doubles as STEM student, Judo champion
- To 'Be A Gov' is to overcome adversity for Computer Science major Carter
Since settling in Clarksville, Ahmed’s father has become a successful practicing neurologist, while Ahmed has emerged as a leader on campus, serving in a number of student organizations, including the Golden Key Honors Society, Pre-Professional Health Society and Student Government Association, all while pursuing a degree in biology with a focus in pre-med in the hopes of following his father as a doctor.
“I think every kid thinks about going away for college, but when I visited Austin Peay, I fell in love with this place and its opportunities,” Ahmed said.
“It’s close to home, I was accepted into a great program and I received fantastic scholarships — it didn’t make sense to go anywhere else.”
