Arts and Humanities General Culture and Society Student Life Health and Wellness

Support of MSU faculty helped Tahir shape her vision for future

Andy Newberry
11 June 2025
3 min read

Aribah Tahir lived in many places throughout her youth with a father who worked for the Department of State and moved every two or three years. However, she found a place to call home in Wichita Falls during her high school years.
And then she learned she felt even more at home at Midwestern State University.

Tahir chose MSU because she received a Redwine Presidential Scholar award and graduated in Spring 2025 with a double major in psychology and chemistry and a double minor in biology and medical sociology. She is happy she chose her hometown school, Midwestern State University.

“I am so, so grateful for all the decisions that led me here because I truly don’t believe I could have had these experiences anywhere else,” Tahir said. “I immediately felt welcomed into every community that I have become a part of, such as the Redwine honors community and the chemistry department."

She started her freshman year as a psychology major with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist and took general chemistry in the spring semester of that year. However, the professors for both semesters of general chemistry encouraged Tahir to pursue a chemistry major.

Tahir found great support in the chemistry department and was encouraged to become involved in research, Gamma Sigma Epsilon, and the American Chemical Society (ACS), and she later became involved in the Tri Beta (biology honors society). “This support system helped me realize that I came into college with a set career goal in mind, but I had not properly explored other career paths that were of interest to me,” she said. “I then sought shadowing opportunities and clinical experiences, which helped me realize that medicine was my true passion.”

The graduation on May 17, 2025, was a “huge step” in her journey. The next step is the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine in Edinburg, Texas.

“At the risk of sounding too cheesy, I truly don’t know how I would have ended up here without all of the people in my life who pushed me to always go one step further,” Tahir said. “Dr. (Beverly) Stiles, the chair of the Sociology department, has always been a consistent source of motivation and inspiration for me. She has always been willing to listen when

Ariba Tahir

I began doubting myself and my ability to pursue my goals, even after I finished my Medical Sociology minor. Dr. (Jennifer) Pace, who I did research under for two years in the sociology department, became another source of inspiration for me. I truly don’t think I respect any two women more than I respect and look up to Dr. Stiles and Dr. ( Pace.”

Her research project on healthcare inequalities led her to add a Medical Sociology minor to explore that field further. “Through these classes, and through Dr. Stiles’ constant guidance, I decided that I needed to seek experiences in healthcare to see if this may be the career for me,” Tahir said. She became a certified nursing assistant to gain clinical experience and later became a certified medical assistant to explore different healthcare settings. She feels that four years of medical school are the way forward for her.

At MSU, Tahir said the entire Health Professions Advisory Committee was the group that pushed her to consider what her career and schooling would look like as a PA versus an MD, especially Dr. Michael Vandahey and Dr. Sarah Langston.

Tahir’s favorite place on campus was the TASP area in the library, “especially the green couch where I spent hours studying and yapping. The people in TASP, especially Dr. (Phillis) Bunch and Ashley Hurst, have always been welcoming and I encourage everyone to use the resources that TASP provides!”

Tahir described Dr. Fu-Cheng Liang in the chemistry department as “the most amazing professor anyone has ever met. I hope to one day have even half the impact that he has had on me and his other students!”

Tahir believes her time at Midwestern State University has prepared her for the challenges in her future.