As an upperclassman in high school, Mariyam Moqbil thought she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She said she had always known that she wanted to be a physician, so she decided to take AP Bio with Mr. Goldberg. 

“His class was very tough, had me in tears,” she said. 

Mr. Goldberg, however, was also one of the teachers that changed her life, she said. She shares that Mr. Goldberg’s classes helped her get a student research position at Union College with a biology professor before even starting there as a student. 

Another teacher she said changed her life was a retired teacher, Mr. Dailey.

“Mr. Bryan Dailey was an AP history teacher who was my go to person for everything, even to this day. My friends and I have been able to keep a strong connection with our teachers and mentors post-graduation. These are people who will forever support you,” Moqbil says.

Moqbil was very involved here in her time at Colonie. She was a part of the soccer team, she was treasurer of Student Senate, and she was also one of the students who started the literacy center. The literacy center is one of the few changes that she said changed Colonie for the better since she left.

“I have since visited a few times and I would say there are changes for the better. For example, the Literacy Center that I started, along with Ms. Hutchins and another student, Jenna, has grown and seems to be serving students well. Programs like this where connections are being made with Alum are significant and I wish I had these guidances while in school,” she says. 

Upon graduating from CCHS in 2019, Moqbil attended Union College with a major in biology because she  had always planned on going to medical school. After two years at Union, she decided she no longer wanted to major in biology.

 “I was not happy and lost my spark for biology. I unknowingly was taking more psychology courses and at my job as a medical assistant in family practice, being drawn to our patients with mental health issues,” she says.

When she was thinking about changing her major, she talked to some of her old CCHS teachers for guidance.

 “Luckily, I had the support of my former teachers and professors at the time who encouraged me to follow in the path that made me most happy,” she says.

Moqbil graduated with a Bachelor of Science in honors psychology from Union College and has a published honors thesis, “Association Between Previous Mental Health Disorder and Post COVID-19 Conditions." She is currently getting her master’s degree in counseling and community psychology at Russell Sage College. 

While at Russell Sage, Moqbil is working as a medical assistant once a week in family medicine. 

“The majority of my time is spent working as a Behavior Services Assistant where I work with people who have mental and physical disabilities alongside a mental health clinician. We provide plans for individuals and support staff on a daily basis when crises or behavioral issues arise,” she says. 

With the 75th year celebration of South Colonie Schools, many alumni are showing how special the South Colonie community is to them. For Mariyam Moqbil, it's the relationships that she's made that are the most special to her. She continues to use the relationships with the teachers she made at CCHS to help her navigate throughout college and in life. 

“The relationships I built in high school with my teachers allowed me to build a very supportive group and allowed me to get through my toughest days. These mentors and teachers never failed to guide me, teach me, but also help me be a better adult, human, and professional. I don't know where I would be without these people,” she says.

About the Author: 

Kendall Abraham is a student at CCHS excited to be in the Introduction to News Writing class this year. Her favorite classes are psychology and sociology, and she is a member of the basketball and soccer teams here at CCHS. Kendall plans on attending Utica University next year and is undecided on a major.