Courage Across Continents: Dr. Eimens Journey to Success
BY ARIANA TAVAKKOLI
“Leaving what’s familiar behind and stepping into the unknown” is what courage means to Dr. Eimen.
Dr. Eimen grew up in Iran where her father built and ran a hospital. When she turned 17 she began to face obstacles that took a plane ride across the world to overcome. She described her situation in Iran as “hard” saying “many universities were closed and as a young girl I could not pick any majors I wanted to.” Dr. Eimens parents decided to send her to France to get a better education but beside the fact that she had to leave behind her childhood home she also had to leave behind her parents as they were not able to travel to France with her. It took a lot of courage for Dr. Eimen to take such a bold step when she was so young but she said “the reality of young girls being arrested by the regime simply for fighting for their freedom pushed me to take the risk and build a safer, more hopeful future for myself.”
Dr. Eimen said she struggled with doubting her independence because back then there wasn’t social media or mobile phones available to simply call her parents whenever she felt scared or lonely. “The idea of leaving everything familiar behind was overwhelming” but she stated that “even with all those fears, something in me knew I had to go.” She chose to leave because staying felt even more frightening. Something that guided Dr. Eimen throughout this time was her father as he always believed in her and pushed her towards the life she has today. Dr. Eimen says “my dad was always my role model. From him, I learned to be confident, work hard and help others.”
When she arrived in France Dr. Eimen felt that even “the simplest tasks were hard like going to the bank to open an account or registering at the university.” She had to figure everything out step by step relying only on her strong determination and the little guidance her parents were able to give her from afar. In addition to that Dr. Eimen mentioned that “professors and students at the university didn’t expect much” from her because she was young and an immigrant. She described her peers' misjudgement as “discouraging” but it motivated her to spend extra time on her work in order to prove herself through results. Dr. Eimen says that “overtime those who doubted me began to see what I was capable of.”
After college Dr. Eimen pushed herself to take yet another leap in order to pursue the profession that she always dreamed of, healthcare. She wanted to move to the US to continue her education and grow in a place where she had more opportunities. After her move to the US she was able to reunite with her brother and relatives that lived there which she described as a “dream come true” mentioning that going to the states felt like the next step towards the future she wanted for herself. For Dr. Eimen “one of the hardest parts of this move was the language barrier.” She felt like people didn’t take her seriously and she had to justify her capability to her classmates. Although she understood English, speaking confidently, especially using medical terms, was challenging in the beginning and she “had to work harder to communicate clearly with patients and colleagues.” But she never gave up. There were times when Dr. Eimen felt insecure and she says “one of my obstacles was also me not taking myself seriously.” But no matter what, she practiced every day and overtime her confidence and ability grew, earning the respect of her colleagues.
Eventually Dr. Eimen received her doctorate degree which she described as “one of the happiest moments” of her life, knowing that she had made her parents proud and that all the sacrifices she took had paid off. The journey Dr. Eimen took to achieve her dreams included some of the hardest chapters of her life but keeping a positive mindset carried her through those moments. Dr. Eimen says that “being on my own at such a young age helped me discover who I am and what I truly enjoy in life.”
Dr. Eimen learned that you do not have to wait for permission to take charge of your own future. After her own inspiring journey she wishes that more immigrant women would acknowledge that you don’t have to be perfect to move forward. She urges women across the world to “trust yourself and don’t let fear or language stop you. Hard work and confidence can open doors you never imagined.”
