After an accomplished four years on UAB’s campus, Patel will walk across the commencement stage to graduate with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. When Anushka Patel reflects on her journey at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one theme shines brightly throughout her time as a Blazer: the idea of coming full circle.
As a middle schooler, the Vestavia Hills native spent her summers on UAB’s campus attending camps hosted by the Center for Community Outreach Development. During one of these camps, she experienced a pivotal moment in a lab: dissecting a brain for the first time. This experience ignited her fascination with science — more specifically, neuroscience. Her passion continued to flourish through high school, bringing her back to CORD’s camps each year. This perseverance culminated in her earning a sought-after spot in the third installment of the CORD Summer Science Institute, where she had the opportunity to work directly with a UAB faculty member in their lab, gaining an invaluable applied learning experience.
Majors. For your Major Decision.
As her senior year of high school came to a close, Patel was certain she wanted to return to the place that had felt like home since seventh grade.
“After the hands-on experience I received at CORD camps, I knew I wanted to study neuroscience,” Patel said. “When looking at colleges, my goal was to find a place where I could major in neuroscience while maintaining the same sense of community that I had in high school. I knew that I could have both of those experiences here at UAB.”
On her first day as an official Blazer, Patel dove headfirst into campus life, eager to make the most of every opportunity. She became actively involved in the Freshman Forum within the Undergraduate Student Government Association, volunteered with Serve205 through Student Involvement and Leadership, and joined Tobacco Free at UAB.
The summer before her sophomore year, Patel again got involved in the CORD Summer Institute, but this time as a facilitator. For the past three summers, she has been able to experience a full-circle moment and help provide the same mentorship that she received as a camper.
After an accomplished four years on UAB’s campus, Patel is thrilled to see her academic journey come full circle as she attends the Heersink School of Medicine. “Anushka is the model of how CORD programs can lead students to STEM understanding and careers,” said Michael Wyss, Ph.D., director of CORD. “Throughout their UAB undergraduate training, students can return as CORD program facilitators and excite the next generation of students about STEM.”
Patel’s involvement on campus extended to the UAB Ambassadors program, where she served as the 2024-2025 vice president of administration. As an ambassador, she proudly represented the university at a range of events, from sporting matches and galas to commencement ceremonies. Working the commencement ceremonies were always fun as she watched former classmates celebrate their accomplishments. However, the spring 2025 Commencement will mark a special milestone for her. This time, she will trade the ambassador’s signature green blazer for a green graduation cap and gown, ready to walk across the stage for herself, not just once, but twice.
Despite balancing a full schedule of extracurricular activities, student organization leadership, countless volunteer hours and being a UAB Honors College student, she successfully completed the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. On Friday, May 2, she will graduate with a Master of Business Administration degree from the Collat School of Business, and the following morning, she will don her commencement regalia again to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences with high distingushed honors from the Honors College.
“Serving as an ambassador and working at numerous commencements, watching former classmates graduate — it will be another full-circle moment to get to cross that stage myself,” Patel said.
After an accomplished four years on UAB’s campus, Patel is thrilled to see her academic journey come full circle as she attends the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. There she can build on the passion for science that first sparked as a seventh-grade camper at the UAB CORD camp, taking the next steps toward fulfilling her aspiration of becoming Anushka Patel, M.D.