Five years ago, Shikyna William was a student at Pakistan’s Forman Christian College, a liberal arts university based in the city of Lahore. Today, she is a UHD data science major who now joins Bayou’s Best, “one of UHD’s highest student leader and ambassador positions.”
William earned the title after impressing a panel of UHD leaders at October’s Bayou’s Best Showcase, a pageant-style event that features select undergraduate and graduate students across UHD’s four colleges. William shares the title with Jessica McCraw, Joe Perez Jr., and Vanessa Mattox, who were also selected as winners.
Reflecting on her victory, William said, “I think I just have a different story. Not every time do you find someone come from Pakistan, take a transfer, get into Scholars Academy, and work their way, you know?” Born in Pakistan and raised in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain, William initially planned to study abroad in Europe. “But God had different plans,” the showcase winner said, with pandemic-related travel restrictions ultimately preventing William from attending the European university she had initially applied to. “I wasn’t able to go because Pakistanis were on red lists. They weren’t allowed to travel.” William instead returned to her birth country for college, even though she had been living in Bahrain since 2010. “[My brother and I] both wanted to [study abroad] at the same time, but my parents could only afford my brother at the time,” William said. “So, I went to Pakistan, and he came to the U.S.”
When William decided that Forman Christian wasn’t the right fit, her family encouraged her to reconsider international universities—this time in the U.S. “So, I didn’t really have any plan B.” She remembered thinking, “If this happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life.” William’s decision to apply at UHD comes after her brother’s recommendation: “He’s an alumni of UHD, and he always had the greatest things to say about it.”
William said that “the whole process of coming to the U.S. took a year,” accounting for the time needed to obtain a student visa and make living arrangements. She currently resides with a host family, whose daughter lives abroad. “I got connected with [my host family] through [their daughter], and they’ve been so kind to just let me stay with them. It’s been super, super crazy how things just kind of aligned up.” Transferring to a different university has been more straightforward. Since Forman Christian adheres to an American curriculum, UHD accepted the two-years’ worth of credits William earned in Pakistan.
William’s knack for leadership is reflected in her recent work for UHD’s Get Ready Gators Summer Bridge program. As a program coordinator, William helped nearly 40 high school graduates make the transition to college. The Bayou’s Best winner is also a Senior Mentor in UHD’s Supplemental Instructor program, where she offers support to the program’s SI Mentors and SI Leaders. She assumes the leadership role after acting as a social media manager and an SI Leader for a math course.
Another major aspect of William’s UHD experience is Scholars Academy. Described by the College of Science and Technology as a “competitive program” that “promotes scholarship and student success” for UHD’s STEM majors, Scholars Academy offers “smaller classes, faculty mentoring, modern labs, hands-on experience and flexible course options.” William said of the experience, “We’re with students who share the same goal, so it’s very encouraging. It makes you want to do better.”
Dr. Mary Parker, executive director of Scholars Academy, “cannot say enough good things about Shikyna.” The faculty member has instructed William in two courses, including one where William acted as a service-learning peer leader. According to Dr. Parker, William “is positive, motivated, and wants everyone to experience success.” The executive director also attested to William’s research success as a mentee to professor Dr. Katarina Jegdic, saying, “She did very well and participated in the [Department of Education’s Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program’s] research presentations via zoom.”
Scholars Academy has eased William’s financial burden as an international transfer student. William said, “I think one of the biggest reasons why I love UHD is that I don’t have to worry about money all the time because, even as internationals, it’s like double or triple the regular tuition.” As a Scholars Academy member, William qualifies for the resident tuition rate and receives annual scholarships that average between $3000 and $4000.
So far, William has been pleased with her experience at UHD. “I never thought that I’d have opportunities like these to actually showcase who I am as a person.” William later said, “At UHD, I do feel like they provide equal opportunities for everybody … and I have a great support system at UHD.” William expects to complete her undergraduate studies in May of 2027. After graduation, she looks forward to applying for graduate programs.