Merwa Hamid’s parents always impressed upon her and her siblings the importance of education. So, it’s not surprising that she, along with her five brothers and sister all did well in high school and then headed to college.

But what is unique is that all seven attended Santiago Canyon College and were so involved in campus clubs and Associated Students Government that the entire family is still well-known throughout the SCC community.

Today, Hamid, 23, is a recent biology major graduate of UC Irvine, where she transferred from SCC.

Born in Afghanistan, she came to America with her family when she was 9. Her father had been a businessman and mayor of a city in Afghanistan and had to start his life over in the U.S. The family first settled in Riverside County then moved to Orange County, where her father began to build a new small business.

When Hamid’s older brother Nizam started at SCC and shared his enthusiasm about the college with his family each day, “we all followed his lead,” Hamid said.

One after the other, the siblings graduated high school and started their college studies at SCC.

Finding a home

Soon, the campus became a familiar place for the entire family.

“The opportunity for my siblings and I to attend college together really sweetened our experience,” Hamid said. “Being involved in different clubs and organizations really diversified our involvement. The interconnection between our professors facilitated a sense of community — my instructors knew my siblings through me, and vice versa.”

The SCC community welcomed the Hamid family. “It was just such a friendly environment, and it’s so easy to get along with everybody,” Hamid said. “The resources they have for first-generation and immigrant students helped us so much and are instrumental to so many students’ academic journeys. It is a school that wants students to succeed.”

To attend college with her sister and brothers was a joy. “For me, being in a school with my siblings felt like home,” she said.

Hamid and her siblings reached out to newer students to make them feel at home, too. “In any new club or organization we joined, we made it an emphasis to reach out to those who seemed shy or isolated. We wanted to engage with them and make them feel welcomed and like this was their home.”

Leaving their mark

Before graduating, they made an even bigger effort to help others. “We wanted to leave this friendly and family-oriented mark on the school. So, we would actively participate in different clubs and activities, and get involved in activities that we weren’t involved in the first year or so.”

Whenever they encountered newcomers, they shared insights about programs and opportunities, providing guidance on application processes and access to resources.

In addition to joining the Model United Nations club, which enabled her to travel to New York and visit the U.N., Hamid founded the Muslim Student Association on campus.

“I saw that Muslim student representation was not so much there, and I aspired to challenge stereotypes and foster understanding about Islam. Recognizing the significant Muslim presence on campus, I believed there would be interest in such a club.”

She was surprised when their first meeting attracted more non-Muslim attendees than Muslims, which showed her the campus community’s eagerness to support and learn from one another.

The club put on informational events such as the meaning of Ramadan and explaining the practice of wearing a hijab.

Still connected

All of Hamid’s siblings transferred from SCC to four-year colleges. Three have continued to graduate school, one is working as a CPA, and Hamid plans to continue to work and do research in the UCI biology labs.

She and her family still return to SCC to visit. “My brother Imran and I visited recently, and stepping back onto campus feels like returning home. I hold dear every memory and connection associated with it. The familiarity extended beyond just myself; since my parents attended all of our award ceremonies and conferences, it made them recognizable figures to many. Their absence was always noted, with questions about their whereabouts becoming a common occurrence, like ‘Where are your parents? Are they coming today?’ ”

Hamid praises her parents for the support they provided and is grateful for all the help she received from  John Hernandez, former president and vice president of student services, and Syed Rizvi, dean of support services. Hamid also remembers the special support she received from Joseph Alonzo and professors Narges Rabii-Rakin, Cale Crammer, Stephan Adams and Amanda Henry, all of whom went out of their way to offer help and encouragement.

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