
ATLANTA — As a child in a small village in Sudan, Presidential Scholar Maysa Osman had an eye condition that made things appear blurry. When she went to the doctor’s office, they often didn’t have access to the type of treatment she needed. Her doctor recommended she travel to a larger city, which was an expensive option her family couldn’t afford.
“Now, I think, ‘Why did I have to go through that?’” she said. “Health care accessibility should be a right for every individual and not a privilege.”
The village where she grew up was plagued by violent conflict that claimed many lives, including that of Osman’s father. Her family left Sudan when she was 7 years old and settled in Georgia when she was 12.
As a student at Clarkston High School, Osman explored a variety of interests. She joined her school’s newspaper and loved writing, but she kept thinking about the medical field. She participated in the Tufts University Mini Med School program. Meetings with experts in the health care field were virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the university sent packages to students so they could perform hands-on activities.
Osman also joined the Young Physicians Initiative, which partners Clarkston High School students with students from the Emory School of Medicine. The medical students regularly visited the high school to offer mentoring and discuss topics related to working in health care.
Osman is now majoring in Biomedical Science and Enterprise, and she’s hoping the combination of scientific study and business strategy will help her start an organization that can tackle issues important to her. In addition to making health care more affordable and accessible, she is interested in being an advocate for peace and climate issues.
“I came to value peace a lot because I came from a place where there was no peace,” she said.
Osman is also working on a science fiction novel set in a world where climate change and corruption have gone unchecked, leading to disastrous consequences. “I took all the issues that I’m passionate about and asked, ‘What if we don’t take care of these issues now? What is going to happen in the future?’ The primary goal of the novel is to serve as a cautionary tale,” she said.
Her advice to students applying for the Presidential Scholarship is to start early.
“Give yourself the opportunity to think about the question thoroughly and do a lot of self-assessment,” she said. “Discover yourself in the process.”
To learn more about the Presidential Scholarship, visit honors.gsu.edu/the-presidential-scholarship. Students can now apply to both the Stamps and Presidential scholarships, the university’s premiere academic awards, with one application.