My Huntsman Experience

As a young child growing up in Ethiopia I saw poor people with hardly anything. My heart would sink because I knew there was nothing I could do as a young boy to help them. Seeing such things made me want to help people in need. When I came to Utah State University, I came with a desire to get a degree, go to medical school, and make a lot of money. I still have those same desires to this day but the money I make I want to give to others. There is nothing more joyful in life than knowing you made a difference in other people’s lives.

My time in the Huntsman School has raised my aspirations. I saw many of my friends get involved in amazing extracurricular opportunities or land jobs with companies that traditionally recruited from top Ivy-League schools. In the beginning, I was just an observer, and I was amazed by my friends’ abilities to achieve at the highest level. I ran for Student Body President of Utah State University because I saw my friends achieve great things, and I began to believe that I could, too. I know without a doubt if I didn’t attend the Huntsman School I would never have had the courage to be where I am today.

My uncle once gave me advice that had a great impact on how I view life in general. “Sami,” he said, “in life there are opportunity windows that open up, and in that moment, it is your responsibility to go through those windows and find out what’s there. Once one of those windows closes there will never be one like it again. Some might be similar, but none like the one you missed.” My Huntsman experience has been all about jumping through windows of opportunity because I know every opportunity I take to better myself only brings me closer to my goals of hopefully changing someone’s life for the better.

 I know every opportunity I take to better myself only brings me closer to my goals of hopefully changing someone’s life for the better.

— Sami Ahmed