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Learn more about diversity at UIC
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 Sofia
Mohammad grew
up in the Puerto Rican/African-American neighborhoods of Logan
Square and Humboldt Park in Chicago, and with a mother of Mexican
descent and a Pakistani father, she was accustomed to living
among many different cultures.
"I chose UIC because I was impressed with both the diversity of curriculum and the diversity of ethnicity here. It was important for me to attend a school that's culturally diverse and offers support services for minority students." - Sofia Mohammad. Sofia learned about UIC's programs and diversity when staff from UIC's Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services (LARES) office made a presentation at her high school. One of things they said that struck her was that UIC has the largest Latino student population of any college in the Midwest. "There are 22 Latino organizations on campus, so it's easy to become involved," she said. Attending UIC opened up a wealth of opportunities, Mohammad noted. "Working in the Summer Research Opportunity Program gave me the chance to work one on one with a faculty member, and that experience changed my entire outlook. I realized that I enjoyed doing research and that graduate school could be a reality for me." Through her experience in the Latino community and with the recommendation of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, Mohmmad was selected to participate in a roundtable discussion on Latino issues, with national Latino leaders and Vice President Al Gore, in Washington, D.C. "The networking opportunities at UIC are tremendous,' said Mohammad. "The alumni association is strong and students do have the chance to meet and network with UIC alumni, through the student organizations and other events." Mohammad
has conducted research on the street and school identities of Latino
college students, and interviewed students looking for strategies
they use on negotiating their identities as they go through in
college. Equipped with her B.A. now, for the next two years she'll
be working as a counselor at LARES as she also works on a master's
degree. "After that I plan to get a joint degree, a J.D. and a
Ph.D. in sociology," said Mohammad." Before coming to UIC, I never
imagined myself going to graduate school, but my experiences here
made me realize I have the ability to do it." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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