Eyes on UMBC

Aiming High--and Succeeding




"I chose to attend UMBC because it was a place I could excel both in academics and athletics," says Kafui Dzirasa '01, and without question, he excelled at both--but his accomplishments extended well beyond even those lofty goals.

While pursuing a degree in chemical engineering and pre-medical studies as a Meyerhoff Scholar, Dzirasa had summer research internships at Lancaster University in England and at Mobil's research labs in New Jersey. In addition to a heavy academic schedule, including time spent as a tutor in UMBC's chemistry and physics tutorial centers, Dzirasa also took on a host of extracurricular responsibilities--from serving as president of the Student Government Association (SGA), to starring on the varsity indoor and outdoor track and field teams, to holding a seat on the President's Student Advisory Council. He was active in the Golden Key National Honor Society as well as the Engineering National Honor Society, and he earned the National Collegiate Minority Leadership Award, the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholarship Award, and the UMBC Community Service and Leadership Award, among others.

But beyond this long list of achievements and kudos, Dzirasa brought to the UMBC campus boundless energy and enthusiasm. He didn't just serve as SGA president, he inaugurated Homecoming 2000, UMBC's first student-led homecoming celebration, and was always coming up with ideas to help generate student spirit and give his schoolmates a sense of belonging. He didn't simply serve the UMBC campus, he led the UMBC community.

Dzirasa is headed to Duke University Medical School, where he enters the M.D./Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering, one of the most prestigious and demanding programs in the nation. His goal is to become a research physician--no one who knows Dzirasa doubts he will accomplish that--and become a leader in his field, of course.

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