When Ambreen Sajid and her daughter, Nawal Choudhry, enrolled in Stony Brook University’s Health Science program, neither imagined they’d walk across the graduation stage together.
This year, they did just that, earning their bachelor’s degrees side-by-side in a culmination of hard work, family support and determination.
Sajid’s journey began in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she took her first online class. At the time, managing coursework alongside raising a toddler proved too difficult, and she paused her education. “I just couldn’t continue because I couldn’t go to campus,” she said. But when Choudhry expressed her desire to transfer to Stony Brook, everything changed. “I had no clue that we would be graduating together, but we ended up doing it.”
Choudhry, who started her college career at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, found herself drawn back to her New York home due to the strong allied health programs at Stony Brook, and entered Stony Brook as a transfer beginning her second year of college.
“Honestly, it was a culmination of a lot of different things,” she explained. “I really love Stony Brook’s programs. Everything is connected — if I wanted to shadow someone or go into radiology or medical dosimetry, it was all here. And I loved the comfort of being home and having my support system around me.”
While they weren’t in most of the same classes, they did take one online psychology course together in the winter of 2023. “We just used to sit together and take notes and the lectures,” Sajid recalled. “No one really knew we were related since it was all virtual.”
Still, their parallel academic paths created a shared understanding and a stronger bond. “Every time I told Nawal how stressed I am with assignments and exams, she’d say, ‘I’m so glad you understand,’” Sajid said. “Parents usually pressure their kids, but I’m so glad she knew I was going through it too and understood the pressure she felt throughout her classes.”
That empathy went both ways. “I’m so glad that we did this together,” said Choudhry. “Who can say that they graduated with their mother? No one! I didn’t feel like I had to be perfect. She understood the difficulty of the classes and the program.”
As students navigating a rigorous academic program and family responsibilities, both women found strength in one another. “No one understands it better than someone living the exact same life as you,” Sajid said. “We’re going through the same things at the same time.”
And their time at Stony Brook was not without hardship. During their studies at Stony Brook, Sajid’s daughter (Choudhry’s younger sister) grew seriously ill and passed away last fall. The loss shook their family, but it also showed the depth of Choudhry’s support.
“She was my rock,” said Sajid. “If I was in the hospital with her sister, she would reach out to professors, manage timelines, and help with my assignments. It’s mostly because of her that I was able to graduate in time and make it this far.”
Choudhry shrugged off her mother’s praise. “We just worked as a team,” she said. “My dad helped too. We just divided everything — divide and conquer.”
Sajid also credited the program faculty and staff for their kindness and flexibility during their most difficult times. “They were very, very understanding,” she said. “Deborah Zelizer, the program director was wonderful and so supportive.”
As health science majors, the two pursued different tracks related to their future goals. Choudhry, interested in radiology, followed the clinical Track 4, while Sajid, aspiring to become a physician assistant, pursued the non-clinical Track 5. In their final semesters, Choudhry focused on informatics and is now heading into the master’s program this summer. Sajid specialized in emergency and critical care and is currently applying to physician assistant programs.
Their favorite memory was attending the meet and greet in the library, where they introduced themselves to faculty as mother and daughter. “It was a big surprise and shock for them. It was beautiful,” Sajid recounted.
Reflecting on the experience, Sajid said she never expected to make it this far, but Choudhry helped her believe she could. “She was the reason I kept going,” she said. “It really strengthened our relationship.”
And to other nontraditional students or families thinking about taking on college together? Sajid’s advice is simple: “Do it. You will run into troubles. But if you keep your eye on the goal, trust me — when you reach the finish line, you’ll know it’s worth it. You’ll come out stronger, and your family will be proud of you.”
For Choudhry, the journey to Stony Brook and through it has been equally meaningful. “The entire process has been really great, not just because I get to graduate with my mother, but because the program itself has given me so much,” she said.
And for Sajid and Choudhry, graduation is made even more powerful because they will cross that finish line together.
— Beth Squire
Great team work and support from family and faculty.
I love feelgood stories like this!
Was there also any coverage of the father who helped his disabled son through accomplishing his PhD? I would love to read the rest of that story.