LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Whitbeck Award highlights a stellar graduating senior at UA Little Rock each year, and the 2023 honoree overcame fears of failure to find success as a student leader.
Ahad Nadeem knows that taking home the 2023 Whitbeck Award was a tough contest, mainly because of the high caliber of all the students vying for it.
“To win was a big honor because I was competing against some very competitive applicants,” Nadeem said.
The Whitbeck Award is based on academic achievement and community involvement, areas where Nadeen has excelled. He is vice president of the Student Government Association and writes for the school newspaper focusing on health topics. He also volunteered at UAMS and interned at Arkansas Childrens Hospital. That’s just a few things on his resume.
“I have had a lot of great opportunities here and I find that this college is very student-driven,” Nadeem said. “There are a lot of organizations here on campus and the faculty here listens to students and they let students get involved.”
Getting involved didn’t come easy, and forced the soon-to-be grad to grow past his comfort zone.
“Coming into college I was scared to try new things. I thought I would fail,” Nadeem explained.
Getting out of his comfort zone not only led him to win the Whitbeck Award but also helped with steps toward achieving his dream of becoming a doctor.
“I think sometimes we accidentally limit our potential, but by trying new things we realize we can do a lot more,” Nadeem concludes.
