Meet Neeraj Maheshwari, who took full advantage of Schoolcraft College’s Dual Enrollment program as a high school student to begin a path that has led him to Resident Physician, Beaumont Hospital.
“I took a variety of courses, including English, math, history, sociology and communication,” he said. “Many of these courses served as required coursework for the Schoolcraft College Honors Program, providing an opportunity to fine-tune public speaking and communication skills, be involved in our local community through social service, and work alongside a more independent and diverse student population.”
Maheshwari also applied the credits earned at Schoolcraft College toward completing his undergraduate and medical school studies at the University of Cincinnati. He found those extra credits allowed him even more freedom academically.
“Those extra credits allowed me to pursue a second major in Spanish Language, which led to multiple study-abroad opportunities, including six weeks in Madrid, four weeks in Guatemala and four months sailing to 12 different countries in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa through the Semester at Sea program,” he said.
And perhaps most of all, use your time at Schoolcraft College wisely and to make lifelong connections.
“Come to class ready to learn,” Maheshwari said. “Your time is valuable and you are investing in your own education. Also, find a mentor who can address personal and professional goals with you. Keep this mentor involved in your life, share your successes and failures with him/her.”
Maheshwari also has a high sense of giving back to the community, listening to all points of view, trying to help and be an agent of change. As part of this commitment, he’s Chief of Programming for ASANA Voices, a platform for the South Asian community in North America to engage in dialogue that tackles economic, political and social issues.
“After the recent killing of George Floyd, it became apparent that while many South Asian communities focus on leveraging their shared heritage and culture to create connections, we often inadvertently adopt an insular view of the world,” Maheshwari said. “ASANA Voices aims to take an active stance in the world by addressing our implicit biases, embracing knowledge dissemination, and providing resources to spread awareness within our communities.”
To learn more about ASANA Voices, please visit https://www.asanavoices.org/