Meet Mesum Haider, DFC Student | Interview
Mesum opens up about his time at Dougherty Family College (DFC) and the opportunities he took.
Mesum shared with Come To Believe that it was accessibility that convinced him to attend Dougherty Family College. From the beginning, Mesum felt like he belonged at DFC. The culture of support and the values he found at DFC has remained with him as he transitioned from DFC to the four year program at the University of St. Thomas.
This is why Mesum defines DFC with the word invested. To him it was important to make the best decision for him coming out of high school - and the decision was a difficult one. Thankfully, Mesum soon learned that DFC genuinely cared about the students and provided them with all the support they needed. He stated “when you see an organization, a college that’s invested in you, you kind of fall in love.” Furthermore, DFC was always inclusive of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and ensured that all students were able to fight against the imposter syndrome that can be part of the college experience.
Continuing his reflections, Mesum expressed that one of his most memorable moments at Dougherty was when he got an A+ on a paper. This was memorable not only because he got an A+, but also because he was able to see his hard work pay off. Mesum commented “it’s not about the grade for me at all, it was about the fact that I took a lot of time and effort into something, and it paid off.” He continued, “the difference between your reality and your expectations is the effort, the attitude, [and] the understanding of preparation.” He realized that DFC allowed him to put effort into something and then see the positive results. This taught him a powerful lesson - that he could influence his own outcomes. After this he learned that he is capable of reaching many goals by understanding how to prepare for any given opportunity.
Today, Mesum is in his last semester of undergraduate studies at the University of St. Thomas, completing his Operations and Supply Chain Management degree. He is getting ready to begin his time working for Target after graduation. At school, he is part of the interfaith council where he gets to advocate for the causes he cares about, and will continue to work to close the inequality gaps that minorities still face. Even with all he is doing at St. Thomas, he still makes time to enjoy his free time playing video games, and watching movies.
Mesum told us that he is happy to be part of the CTB Network because this organization is not trying to change the students but rather is trying to bring out the best in each of them. He would also like to tell his 17 years old self that even though he thinks he might not be able to do something, he actually can, and that his passion for lifelong learning will continue to drive him and everything he does.
