Ridha Fatima didn’t have much experience volunteering with the elderly community before coming to the University of South Carolina. But she was inspired to get involved after seeing how hard isolation during the pandemic had been for many people, particularly for her grandparents who live in Pakistan.
“I saw how difficult it was for my grandparents, especially quarantining and just not being able to fulfill a lot of their daily routines,” says Fatima, a senior biochemistry major from Columbia. “They live in Pakistan, so we could call them, but it's not the same as physically being there. Seeing that and realizing there might people be facing the same stuff here made me really want to get closer to my Columbia community.”
As a freshman, she joined the Network of Opportunities Toward Elderly Service, an on-campus organization that connects students with people who live in local nursing homes. During their twice-monthly visits, members participate in activities such as arts and crafts, gardening and talent shows, all while building relationships with the residents.
“I love having really close connections and being able to learn more about people, but at the same time, leading and organizing events, and seeing other USC students gain a passion for connecting with the elderly and being more involved in their community,” says Fatima, who has been vice president of the organization since she joined.
NOTES is just one of a few organizations she is a part of that helps her engage with the community. She is also co-president of Aspiring Pre-health Student Mentoring Initiative, a service organization that travels to local high schools to inform students about pre-health majors, and is the service chair of Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health honor society.
Her love for community and people is also reflected in her academic pursuits. She has been able to explore her interest in women’s health through courses and participating in research projects, specifically pregnancy and postpartum health.
“There's not a lot of research on problems specific to women, like reproductive health or pregnancy,” says Fatima, who is a Magellan Scholar. “I was really interested in getting involved in women's health when I came into college, and so my research is focused on women's reproductive and cardiovascular health, specifically on postpartum cardiomyopathy — a condition that can be fatal for pregnant women — but it's not well researched.”
In her time at USC, she has also developed an interest in public health and individualized care. A person’s background and identity can inform the care they receive, and she’s intrigued by what individualized care may look like for different communities. “In the future, I am also interested in working with local community partners to advance initiatives to increase the overall health of the community,” she says.
After graduating, she plans to go to medical school and become a physician. “I want to do clinical care and have the opportunity to form long-term relationships with patients — really be able to talk with patients face-to-face,” she says.