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Kanij Nessa

3x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

US Citizenship
US Citizen
Ethnicity
Asian
Religion
Muslim

Hobbies & Interests

  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Teaching
  • Mathematics
  • Cooking
  • Drawing And Illustration
  • Engineering
  • Science
  • Spanish
  • Theology and Religious Studies
  • STEM
  • Economics
  • National Honor Society (NHS)
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Advocacy And Activism
  • Anime
  • Art
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Aviation
  • DECA
  • Environmental Science and Sustainability
  • Writing

Reading

  • Adult Fiction
  • Young Adult
  • Folklore
  • Academic
  • Art
  • Book Club
  • Education
  • Cultural
  • Historical
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Women's Fiction
  • Thriller
  • Biography
  • Horror
  • True Story
  • Leadership
  • Gothic
  • Science Fiction
  • Romance
  • Psychology

I read books daily.

Bio

Being a Muslim, South Asian, and a woman, I feel I have hit the minority jackpot. While growing up, I noticed that many of my relatives started to look down upon girls that were “too ambitious” or “too educated.” However, I stopped wanting to dim my own light for the sake of others. I wanted to possess the confidence to lead and pave the way for other women in my culture, so I did just that. With many females told they are not fit to have leadership positions, I became the President of the National Honors Society, President of the Princess Project, Vice President of the Student Council, Secretary of Robotics, and much more. Outside school, I advocated for environmental justice and became a Clean Air Youth Leader. Furthermore, with many females in my culture being told not to travel independently, I was triumphant in traveling to Boston and doing a Pre-College Program at Harvard. Undoubtedly, I was breaking boundaries for myself and the women in my community, but I wanted to break boundaries in a more competitive field; hence, my desire to be an aerospace engineer. With women making up nearly 30% of the STEM workforce, I wanted to be a part of increasing that percentage. My parents were never given a shot at having an education beyond high school while living in Bangladesh due to their poor upbringing. They were never given a shot to show their full potential and make a difference in the world, so I want to achieve everything they weren’t able to. Therefore, I am eager to break my family curse by becoming the first generation to go to college.

Education

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Bachelor's degree program

2023 – 2027

Majors:
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
Minors:
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
GPA3.8 GPA

Hamtramck High School

High School

2019 – 2023

GPA4.0 GPA

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Majors of interest:
Engineering, General, Data Science, Data Analytics
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Data Entry and Asset Management Assistant

    Computer Software · Michigan Language Assessment

    Jan 2024 – Present

  • Peer Advisor

    Higher Education · Engineering Advising Center/ Engineering Career Resource Center

    Jan 2024 – Present

  • Teacher Assistant

    Education · Math Corps

    Jan 2019 – Jan 2022

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Aviation & Aerospace
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
A Man Helping Women Helping Women Scholarship
Growing up a female in a traditional Bengali household and low-income family, I had to face many challenges that tested my resiliency and determination. Since my parents believed that my brothers were the only ones who could achieve success, they praised their ambitions and goals while implying that mine were mere dreams. I dimmed my spark for learning for some time as I also noticed many of my relatives looking down upon girls who were “too ambitious” or “too educated.” However, I stopped wanting to be a follower. I wanted to possess the confidence to lead and pave the way for other women in my culture, so I did just that. With many females told they were not fit to have leadership positions, I became the President of the National Honors Society, Vice President of the Student Council, Secretary of Robotics, and much more. I was able to manage all those extracurricular activities while still maintaining a 4.0 GPA, ranking in the top 1% of my class, and getting accepted to a Pre-College Program at Harvard. These accomplishments not only helped me to break down barriers for myself but for other women in my community as well. However, I knew that I wanted to push myself even further and break boundaries in a more competitive field. This led to my desire to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. ​​I have always been interested in STEM, and my dream is to become an aerospace engineer. I know that this is a challenging career path, especially for women, as they only make up 28% of the STEM workforce. Despite this, I worked hard to get accepted into the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. I am determined to succeed in my studies and future career, not only for myself but also to inspire and motivate other young women who share an interest in STEM. I want to be a role model for them and show that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. My ultimate goal is to advocate for gender equality in the STEM field and contribute to increasing the percentage of women in this industry. Throughout my journey, I have learned that the challenges I faced as a woman entering a competitive and male-dominated field were actually blessings in disguise. They taught me valuable lessons that helped me become more resilient, determined, and resourceful, enabling me to continue to succeed and break barriers. I have also developed a strong work ethic and a never-give-up attitude. I know that these qualities will serve me well in life, regardless of the challenges I may face. Therefore, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to develop my leadership skills. I am determined to make the most of them and to use my skills and talents to make a positive impact in the world.
Kanij Nessa Student Profile | Bold.org