Joining hands for the future

Nimah Fatima Shukkoor, who has a passion for the sciences, reveals how students can harness the power of networking

Nimah Fatima Shukkoor, 18, doesn't believe in pursuing a ‘‘dream career''. Instead, she has set herself life goals to pursue. An alumnus of Gems Modern Academy, she was named a Math Challenger of the International Zone by Aditya Birla World Academy and was a finalist in Murdoch University's Interschool Hackathon in 2020. A leading member of the Aeroastro society, Project Nova, and Young Scientists' Club, Nimah also created and managed a program for curriculum enrichment in her school. ‘‘There isn't just one path you can follow to achieve your goals,'' says the teenager who plays the violin, guitar, keyboard, and performs vocals, and has received distinctions from Trinity College London in all four areas. Nimah has been accepted into Rice University as a Chemical Physics major. She also plans to take select courses in Political Science, Business, and Economics.

Excerpts from an interview: How do you juggle academics and extracurriculars?

Academics' sole purpose is to empower you with knowledge you can utilise to make the world a better place. I use what I learn academically to supplement most of my extracurricular endeavours. I consider most of my “extracurriculars” as fun projects that help others and myself to improve, rather than work.

What 5 tips can you give on time management?

1. Be willing to sacrifice comfort. You may not always get 8 hours of sleep or attend every social gathering, but you will be making a difference in your community.

2. Be mindful of the time you're wasting. Instead of spending two hours on Instagram, learn a new skill.

3. Create an environment conducive to productivity. I often work in cafés, parks, and hotel lobbies. Not only does it help clear your mind, you also witness lives of people outside of your bubble, which will expose you to new perspectives.

4. Understand your purpose. It's incredibly difficult to do something if you don't think it's important or useful in some way.

5. Enjoy being unique. Take pride in your individuality and allow it to catapult you further.

Tell us your experiences in tutoring/mentoring children of determination.

I began by mentoring a few students from my school in subjects like mathematics, physics and chemistry. Soon, I transitioned into teaching through live experimentation and detailing. After having applied and being accepted by a program in Bangalore, India, by students of Inventure Academy, I worked with students battling mental health issues as a result of the pademic. Trained as a peer counsellor, I introduced these students to rudimentary scientific concepts through live-at-home investigations.

How did you land projects at universities in the UAE and the US?

I was in a unique position where my school was able to facilitate my visit to Stanford University where I immersed myself in the Youth Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Accelerator Program. I also found internships in Marketing, Human Resources & Recruiting, and Robotics & Artificial Intelligence departments at Curtin University and Manipal University Dubai. After a taste of the classic work experience, the drive continued to build in me.

I found, via Linkedin, a San Franciscobased ed-tech startup and quickly rose to be a co-director for the MENA region. This opened more doors. I began working closely with others from Dubai, and from Tanzania, Egypt, Mexico, Austria, Nigeria, and more. When one of us stumbled into a unique opportunity, the others would be notified. Through them, I was invited to speak on podcasts, work on research papers, and join ambassadorships.

Projects such as these often require that I urgently learn new skills. To aid me in these endeavours, and some purely for fun, I began undertaking virtual modules in Justice, Computer Applications, and The Science of Haute Cuisine by Harvard University in addition to utilizing OpenCourseWare and video lectures by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

A reason a lot of people miss such opportunities is that they underestimate the power of networking. Two of my most cherished experiences are the Media Acquisition and Brandon Camp by the University of Wollongong Dubai and the Innovation and Design Thinking workshop facilitated by Iowa State University at the USA Expo 2020 pavilion. I discovered one of them through their Facebook page and the other by a friend who had read it in a newsletter.