Sisters Tajalla and Sabrina Moslih aspire to be physician assistants. While they would be fulfilling a dream their parents had that one of their five children practice medicine, the journey has taken the siblings by surprise.
Tajalla is the middle child, and her two older sisters were together through high school, graduating at the same time in their home country of Afghanistan. If any of the siblings would be together in college, Tajalla thought it would be the two oldest.
“I never, ever thought that I will be together with (Sabrina),” Tajalla said. “There wasn't a big plan. It just kind of happened.”
Two years older than Tajalla, Sabrina didn’t expect it, either, but for a different reason.
“We were not supposed to be on the same path because when I was back in Afghanistan, I didn't have the patience for being in medicine,” she said. “I always wanted to be a politician.”
The sisters, along with their three siblings and mother, moved to the United States in 2021. (Their father is still there.) Furthering their education was always part of the plan. When Tajalla mentioned she was going to pursue health and medicine at Virginia Peninsula Community College, Sabrina said, “I'm going to study that, too.”
They enrolled in 2023 and are on schedule to graduate this semester. They hope to transfer to the College of William & Mary.
What Tajalla likes most about medicine are helping people and the impact it has.
“It's not about just having a job or a career,” she said. “You are getting in touch with your community, with the people, and you serve them.”
While Sabrina’s first choice was politics, medicine always was a close second. She has an uncle in California who discussed the options a medical degree offers, including being a physician’s assistant.
“Medicine was something that I was really interested in, so I started my journey at VPCC as a health science major, but then I changed it to science because I wanted the associate degree,” she said. “I wanted more options because at the time, I was still exploring. I didn't know what to do.”
Tajalla said her oldest sister also thought about taking the same path but changed her mind. That left Tajalla and Sabrina together, and Sabrina enjoys taking classes with her sister.
“It's fun,” she said. “It definitely helps you understand materials better because you have someone to talk about it with.”
However, conflicts can arise when one understands the lesson more easily than the other. Also, it can be easy to rely on the other one too much.
“Sometimes you say, ‘Oh, she knows it. I don't have to listen to the lecture,’” Sabrina said. “Then I will ask her. Sometimes you are not in the class mentally.”
It was an adjustment for Sabrina because she had always been ahead of Tajalla in school. And she admits to some sibling rivalry regarding grades.
“A little bit, although we are not saying it out loud,” she said. “But I think yes.”
Sabrina said she is better at chemistry, but Tajalla is better at math.
In addition to schoolwork, Tajalla is involved in Student Government Association, TRiO, PTK Honor Society, the science club and works in academic advising.
“I know it's a lot, but if I don't pay now, I will never, ever enjoy it later,” she said.
She remembers hearing, “Experience is the mother of knowledge.” It’s better to experience something firsthand rather than learn about it from a book. She has taken it to heart.
“I might not be familiar with all the great opportunities (at VPCC), but I took advantage of the ones that I knew and the ones where students were involved,” she said. “Then they inspired me.”
She hopes to be just as involved at W&M.
“When you graduate university or college, people are not (just) seeing the degree that you have. They are seeing the skills that you have,” she said.
Sabrina is not as involved on campus other than with TRiO, but volunteers in the community, in addition to having a job.
“Studying and working is really difficult,” she said. “I wanted to be involved in many of the clubs, but I didn't have time for it because I was working.”
Still, she’s thankful for all the opportunities.
“I think VPCC is a really welcoming and loving space,” she said. “They want to engage you in a lot of activities. I think VPCC is really good start for your academic journey.”
Tajalla has mixed emotions about leaving VPCC. She has enjoyed her time at the College but knows it’s time for the next step. She has advice for students.
“Your goals are important, but the journey matters just as much,” she said.
She’s glad she has a sister joining her on that journey.
“We started this journey together, and now we are going to finish this journey at VPCC together,” Tajalla said. “And then start a new journey at William and Mary together, and hopefully going to PA together.”