Class of 2024: For Shahed Sanuri, graduating is more than a moment in time
Shahed Sanuri sees graduation as a steppingstone to a career in the medical field.
Shahed Sanuri by Torgersen Bridge on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech.
Shahed Sanuri, who moved to Northern Virginia from Saudi Arabia, got her first taste of Virginia Tech when her family dropped off her brother AbdulRahman Sanuri in 2016. It was the first university she saw in the United States.
She loved the architecture around Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus – it was a whole new world for her.
When it was time for Sanuri to look at colleges herself, she started with her brother’s alma mater. Turns out, it was the perfect place for her to launch her inspirations to join the medical field. And the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise was the perfect launching pad.
“The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and HNFE aligned perfectly with what I want to do in life,” said Sanuri, who was one of the department's outstanding seniors. “With how the department covers nutrition and exercise, along with the science and anatomy, it gives me an advantage for medical school.”
Shahed Sanuri stands by the War Memorial pylons. Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech.
The faculty made a lasting impression on Sanuri, particularly Robert Grange, a professor in the department and director of the Metabolism Core at Virginia Tech.
“He worked with me as a person and as a student,” Sanuri said. “He was always willing to give me a helping hand and guide me not only through class, but also with life. He’s an outstanding champion for student success inside and outside of the classroom.”
Outside of the classroom, Sanuri was just as involved.
As vice president of Shared Governance for the Undergraduate Student Senate, Sanuri helped craft policy that impacted all undergraduates at Virginia Tech.
“Whenever there was a problem, we had the power to create change,” she said. “We could craft new policies and resolutions and change things to help the lives of students.”
And now as a Virginia Tech alumna, Sanuri prepares for her next moment in time.
