After 20 years...! How did this senior become a junior?

A short story to read and enjoy and wish for the people around us.

Bees saal bath...! After 20 years...!

How did this senior become a junior?

After two decades of remarkable journeys, I am excited to share the inspiring story of how a senior became a junior again. This is a tale of resilience, ambition, and the power of lifelong learning.

In 2004, in Yerevan, Armenia, my journey in medical school was marked by a significant encounter with this senior, Kadher Mohaideen Noorul Zaman . He was not an academic guy but gifted and possessed a vast, unique ability of leadership and forging deep connections with humans. This senior, who was the first to ever bring me to tears at the age of seventeen, unexpectedly became a significant figure in our lives for each other.

Our paths, intertwined by destiny, led us to many destinations of finding ourselves, like the United States in 2005 and many other countries. With hearts full of dreams and minds devoid of any preconceptions about this life, we embarked on a journey that would shape our lives in ways we never imagined.

Independently, yet driven by a shared passion, we both ventured into the realm of public health science, choosing it as our career path. This decision, unconventional and frowned upon by many of our physician colleagues, became a testament to our resolve. They believed public health lacked the economic prosperity of other medical fields, but we saw it as a calling to serve, make a difference, and discover oneself.

In 2016, our dedication led us to the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Joining as early careerists, we were thrust into a world unfamiliar with culture and language. Posted in different provinces, we embraced the challenge of thriving and excelling in our roles, driven by a commitment to contribute our best for the community and our employers.

The dream of pursuing advanced studies in public health has always been a shared ambition. In 2022, I commenced my Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program at Loma Linda University School of Public Health . Inspired by our collective goals, I felt deeply responsible for encouraging and motivating my friend to chase his dreams. After much persuasion, he applied and was accepted into the DrPH Health Policy and Management program at New York Medical University.

Today, in 2024, twenty years after our first encounter, he embarks on a new chapter as a first-year doctoral student at New York Medical College (NYMC), New York, and today, traveling to JFK from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The labels of 'senior' and 'junior' have blurred over time, but what remains is our enduring spirit of pushing each other to new heights, mentoring, and challenging ourselves to evolve constantly.

As we step into the new year of 2024, our journey continues, a testament to the power of friendship, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of personal and professional growth. Happy New Year, and here's to new beginnings and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

I kindly ask you to wish him an incredible adventure and a new life in this vast "land of opportunity" country, the USA and New York.