Education is not only her goal, it is her life

When she arrived in America, Bibi Khan had the chance to easily do something for herself that proved difficult in her home country: get an education.
Five years later, Khan, a resident of Corona, expects to receive her master’s degree in sociology from Queens College on September 1 and anticipates undergoing the LSAT exam to pursue her ultimate goal of a law degree, she said.
While most of her female friends have gotten married and had children, Khan said that is not her priority. A college education was not just something the Guyanese immigrant did after high school. It was Khan’s goal; her protection against whatever life throws her way.
“I realized if I didn’t have an education, I could be nowhere in life,” she said. “I could be stuck with a marriage and children, and I did not want that for me. I wanted to be able to speak, be able to work and have my own money.”
After Khan graduated high school in Guyana, she got a job in the court system. She still wanted to attend college, but that proved difficult. “I was in the environment where the government wasn’t pushing a lot for education,” Khan said. “I wanted an education.”
Khan’s pursuit of knowledge was further complicated after she defied her superior, she said. Khan refused to sign documents that would allow her superior, the registrar of the court, to misappropriate funds. Her superior reacted with hostility.
“As long as she was registrar, I will always remember her words, ‘I would never complete my education,’ ” Khan said, choking up. “[My superior] would send me away, a long way, to work in different courts. I would have to travel five hours sometimes, so I wouldn’t be able to go to classes.”
With the help of her guru, who was also a judge in the courts, she was able to attend classes and get a degree in tourism studies. Sparked by an investigation started by the president of Guyana, Khan lost her job with the courts, she said.
At the same time of her firing, Khan’s mother was able to sponsor her to come to America in 2003. She immediately began searching for schools here, and found Queens College.
“Queens College is my second home,” Khan said. “Now I’m here and I’ve done pretty well. I could really look back and just say that [my old superior] was one of the persons that motivated me. I’ve used that obstacle to complete my education.”
The Guyanese immigrant, who did not want to give her age because she believes people make quick judgments based on age, majored in both sociology and women’s studies. Khan made the Dean’s List twice and received several scholarships and a commendation from the Provost. She has spoken at conferences on topics like domestic violence and dedicates her time to human and environmental activism.
“It is human nature to want to help those who are less fortunate,” Khan said. “I have a further motivation to want to eliminate sexism, racism and discrimination. It is fulfilling to know that you can make a difference, to improve lives.”
She added, “Very little of that feeling of achievement comes from the benefits you get from the society, it comes from giving back and hopefully, causing others to want to continue the cycle of activism and community work.”
Khan has worked with Queens College’s Women’s Center and is currently writing her master’s thesis on the head coverings of Muslim and Jewish women, which she hopes to get published.
The next step for Khan will be applying for U.S. citizenship. After the application, she hopes to return to Guyana to visit her father and friends and to encourage women there to seek their own education.
“I miss the place that I will always call home,” Khan said, adding that because she finished her education here, now she can go back.