Maxine's Insider

1. I come from Los Angeles, CA. Funny enough, when I studied abroad in Melbourne, people would almost faint when I told them I am from Los Angeles, because it is a celebrity haven. My dad is from Tehran, Iran. He moved to the United States during the Iranian Revolution. My mom, on the other hand, is a New Yorker born and raised in Long Island.

2. After I graduate from USC, I will spend a year working on an ambulance as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Afterwards, I hope to attend USC's Physician Assistant Program.


3. Before I apply to USC's PA program, I need 1,500 hours of volunteer work/ clinical experience. To obtain those hours, I will volunteer at various hospitals and homeless shelters, shadow physicians and work on an ambulance.


4. Similar to my parents, I believe in the power of the mind. My parents have instilled this idea in my mind that I can do or become anything I put my mind to. In other words, the sky is the limit! I am similar to my mom in that I am caring and compassionate towards others. I am similar to my dad in that once I start something, I will not give up.


5. My parents are very conventional, and they tend to be more on the conservative side. For example, my dad was against me dating in high school. But I believe early experience is beneficial, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of what you want out of a relationship.

6. I definitely wouldn't say that I'm operating under someone else's expectations. However, my parents' expectations do shape my behavior in some ways. For example, my parents expect me to never get involved with drugs, and I promised that I wouldn't because I can see the harm in getting involved. Also, they expect me to maintain good grades, and I strive to do so because I think it is crucial in order to get into graduate school.

7. My close friend, Nathan, lives life with great passion and personal responsibility. He has faced a great deal of hardships at a very young age (e.g. loss of a parent), yet he maintained an optimistic outlook, and is currently attending Stanford Law School. I commend him for raising a large sum of money for breast cancer research- a cause which he is very passionate about due to his mother’s death.


8. I feel a special connection with cheetahs, because they are the fastest-running land animals. I love to run, and I love to race against others on the track.

9. Growing up, my grandparents had various succulent plants and trees in their backyard. I vividly remember one particularly large tree/plant which grew small pods that contained clear liquid in them. My cousins and I would routinely pick off these pods and squirt the liquid at each other. We called this the “Pee-pee Plant” because the liquid had a foul odor.