Home Town: Salem, N.H.
Major: Biochemistry

Medical practice, or cancer research? Waqarun isn't sure which direction she wants to go with her biochemistry degree, so she plans to pursue both. "I'm keeping my options open," she says.

A toy doctor's kit from her parents provided the first lure, but her medical ambitions were sealed in the fourth grade on a visit to Pakistan with her family. "My cousin was a doctor and when he told me about curing people with his own hands, I thought I'd really like to be able to do that," she recalls.

At Saint Anselm—where her sister, Zaibun, is also a biochemistry major—Waqarun saw the work her professors were doing to help conquer some of the common diseases that afflict millions of people. She looks forward to a summer job in the laboratory of her advisor, Professor Robert Vallari, whose work focuses on breast and ovarian cancer.

Even though her major is science, Waqarun is happy to study at a liberal arts college with a strong humanities program. "It gives you a way of understanding the world in a more intelligent manner. The discussions about philosophy and theology in humanities seminars are wonderful," she says.

She believes the humanities program's emphasis on writing and reasoning will also help her with the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test): "It's not just science questions; you need to analyze passages and develop ideas in writing under a time constraint."

An honors student and member of the Probe and Scalpel Society, Waqarun also enjoys participating in Model United Nations, the Muslim Student Association, student government, and Multicultural Center activities. She also likes hanging out—"a little too much."