Alkhuzama Zaini is a 17-year old senior here at Westborough High School and will be attending the University of New Hampshire. Zaini moved to the United States in the 5th grade from Saudi Arabia and is therefore younger than her many of her peers. She will be majoring in Communication Disorders in the College of Health and Human Services at UNH.

Zaini was inspired to major in this division as she has first-hand experience with individuals with these disabilities. Zaini has an older brother named Maan who suffers from a form of mild autism. Through seeing Maan’s struggles and accomplishments, she became inclined to help others the same way she saw people help her brother. Zaini also stated: “I’m grateful for how dedicated my parents were and still are to helping him. Their efforts inspired my career choice after observing the positive impact they have on my brother.”

Maan is an inspiration for her because even though he has a mild form of autism he is fluent in both English and Arabic, two drastically different languages that are difficult to learn. Maan currently attends Quinsigamond Community College and enjoys going for car rides, video games, and frequently going to Boston Sports Club to work out.

Zaini’s love for helping others helped contributes to her career path as well. Zaini enjoys spending time with friends, family, and overall being pretty social. She says she looks forward to the new experiences UNH will bring: “I’m so excited to go. The school is beautiful and just overall a great place to attend.”