Sharmeen Makda

I attribute my success to never giving up, even when things got difficult. When I moved from Florida to Texas, I was halfway done with my bachelor's in teaching and had to start all over again from scratch at community college. I even changed my major during that time. It took me 8 years to finish my bachelor's and master's degrees because I had a family and wanted to balance everything - I always wanted to have fresh food for my children and show them that as a woman, as a person of color, as an immigrant, I can do it. There were times I thought about giving up because I was repeating all my courses again, but I told myself I need to have a degree and I cannot just leave something in between. Now when I look back and see where I am at this level, I feel like I can make a difference and tell all those women and whoever is listening: don't give up, and if you want to pursue your goals, even in 8 years, 10 years, it doesn't matter how old you are, you should keep going.

Believe in yourself, Follow your dreams and never give up.

First, believe in yourself and in the possibility of achieving your dreams. There will be many barriers—some from within yourself, and others from family, society, or circumstances. But amidst all the challenges, you must always remind yourself why you started. What is your ultimate goal? What purpose drives you forward?

Most importantly, trust God’s plan. Sometimes life does not make sense. Like scattered pieces of a puzzle, everything may seem incomplete, scattered, and disconnected. However, with time, patience, faith, and hard work, those pieces slowly begin to come together and reveal a meaningful picture—just as our lives do.

So keep moving forward. Keep believing. Keep growing. 

The biggest challenge I see right now, especially in South Asian cultures, is the stigma around counseling. People in my culture still see counseling as a taboo and think it's only for people who need serious help or who have something wrong with them mentally. But counseling is for everyonewho is looking for some personal growth, who is finding some meaning in their life, or who has career-related concerns, or who just wants to figure out who they are. All of us are figuring out ourselves. That's why my number one priority right now is psychoeducation - to reach as many people as possible through presentations and education on a community level, to educate them what counseling does, what individual counseling means. Not everybody comes to counseling, especially in minority community and from a culture where counseling is still a taboo, so I want to educate people that counseling is available and beneficial for everyone.

The values most important to me are balance, perseverance, and service to my community. Even while pursuing my education over 8 years, I always tried to maintain work life balance. I always wanted to have fresh food for my children and be present for them. I wanted to show my children that as a woman, as a person of color, as an immigrant, I can do it. I strongly believe in volunteer work for my community and my organization, and whatever volunteer opportunities I get, I help them. I believe in perseverance and commitment. I am deeply passionate about doing justice to my profession and making a meaningful difference by helping others, particularly marginalized immigrant communities who face cultural barriers, language barriers, and social stigma. My goal is to reach and educate as many people as possible, empowering them with knowledge, support, and access to resources that can improve their lives.