Abduladeem Tabib is about to receive his Bachelor of Science with a focus on pre-medicine/pre-medical studies at Colorado State University, and getting there was anything but easy.

Although born in Covington, Louisiana, Tabib only spent the first few months of his infancy there until his family returned to Libya, their country of origin. With the prominence of militias in Libya recruiting people of Tabib’s age, his father sent him to the United States alone so that he could pursue his dream of working in the medical field.

“I came here, and it was like traversing some alien world. Everything was so surreal at first,” Tabib said.

Tabib then had to navigate the entire American process by himself. Through couch surfing, powering through the system to receive financial aid and dealing with financial instability, Tabib would overcome these obstacles and become a part of the community by “advocating myself through multiple fronts,” as he said.

After initially having nothing in the United States, Tabib cultivated a headstrong work ethic and a positive outlook on life. He is now a lab intern at BROADn Laboratory and a trainer of AI models within a biological context for Outlier, and he works seasonally for the Red Cross when he returns to Libya to assist those in need. He has been a student senator at CSU since May 2023.

Tabib now has his eyes on medical school, as he is dedicated to helping others. Despite all of the setbacks, Tabib has established himself as nothing short of an outstanding grad through constant persistence, and no doubt has a bright future ahead.