DSF Scholar Sunbul Zeerak is excited to be graduating this year and looks forward to running her own business and continuing her education by applying for medical school. Sunbul majored in microbiology, immunology, and pathology at Colorado State University (CSU) in Ft. Collins. She thanks DSF for helping her establish a community on campus, especially during virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sunbul says that her college experience would have been different if she didn’t have the DSF community, as well as the CSU Community for Excellence, by her side.
Sunbul’s business, Conscious Pals LLC., offers dog owners an eco-friendly alternative for dog accessories like toys and leashes. She established the company in February 2022 to support people’s ability to minimize their carbon footprints while still living their lifestyle. Making an eco-friendly lifestyle accessible to more communities inspired Conscious Pals LLC., and Sunbul is proud to be the founder of something that has a lot of potential to grow. She plans on focusing on her business during her gap year after graduating CSU and applying to medical school.
Sunbul is the first woman in her family to graduate with a college degree. As a first-generation college student and student of color, Sunbul appreciates that she had the opportunity to connect with and relate to other DSF Scholars who are the first in their families to go to college. Being able to share their experience with each other helped foster a sense of belonging, even during the challenges that Sunbul faced.
Sunbul is also grateful that the DSF Scholarship made college more affordable. By not having to worry about paying tuition, Sunbul says she was able to focus more on her classes and was motivated to advance academically. Sunbul was also involved in different activities during her college experience, including being a patient care coordinator at an eye clinic, being part of the Spanish and Salsa clubs.
As Sunbul prepared for graduation, she has a few words of wisdom to share with first-year DSF Scholars. “As you navigate life, challenge your understanding of the world, and the world itself. Challenge yourself to open your world view and keep pushing to learn new things.”
