Investments in a shared future
When Fatima Sabti recalls her early childhood in Iraq, she thinks of earmuffs.
In the 2000s, violence and unrest filled the country. If danger came close, the Sabtis would retreat to their basement. Fatima remembers her grandfather placing earmuffs over her ears and those of her twin sister, Sarah, to protect the girls from the sounds of bombs detonating nearby.
“Years later, my mom confirmed our memories,” Fatima says. “She told us that the bombings happened frequently.”
In 2004, when the twins were 4, the Sabtis fled Iraq. They wanted a safer, healthier future. Their path was not easy. The family immigrated first to the United Arab Emirates and then, 10 years later, to the United States.
“We experienced isolation, fear and homesickness,” Sarah says. “We missed our family and friends. At the same time, we were trying hard to excel in school.”
Fatima and Sarah share a lifelong love of science and a desire to make a difference in the world. The latter, in particular, propelled them successfully through their undergraduate studies and drew them to medical school and, specifically, to EVMS.
“We chose EVMS because we wanted to go to a medical school that was really part of its community with people who want to give back,” Sarah says.
The sisters are now members of EVMS’ MD Class of 2025 and recipients of need-based scholarships. Sarah received the Lillie P. Walker Memorial Scholarship and Fatima, the EVMS Sidney & Odie Kellam Scholarship.
The investments in their education have been critical.
“Without the scholarships, we would be so much more focused on the financial burden of our education,” Fatima says.
Read more about the Sabti sisters and other scholarship winners in EVMS magazine.