Zenab Elzamzamy '21
BA Psychology
Minor in Health, Medicine and Society

Why Stony Brook?
To be completely transparent, I initially chose Stony Brook because it was the school my parents wanted me to attend. It was close to home, a smarter choice financially, one of the most prestigious public universities in NYS, and I was admitted into the University Scholars Program directly out of high school. I was reluctant at first because I wanted to move further away and live on my own like a “real adult,” but looking back, I am so happy that I decided to listen to my parents. There is no doubt in my mind that I chose the right school. Stony Brook is such a perfect fit for me, and I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing professors and make use of the outstanding resources that SBU has to offer. My experience couldn’t have been better and, not to mention, the proximity to home worked to my benefit as I ended up going home every weekend because I missed my family.

On her major and minor:
I am a Psychology major with a concentration in Sociology, and a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society. I switched to psychology my sophomore year of college and my only regret is that I didn’t switch sooner. I completely fell in love after taking an introductory psychology course, and it has been my life ever since.  

Greatest achievement:
I would say my biggest achievement is being able to graduate college a year early at the age of 20. This will allow me to get a head start on my graduate education as well as my future career. I struggled quite a bit my freshman year, and so I am incredibly proud to say I was able to completely turn my life around and graduate a year early with honors!

Plans for post-graduation:
I will be pursuing my MS in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Vermont in the upcoming Fall of 2021. I am eager to start graduate school and my counseling career. After graduate school, I plan on obtaining licensure as a Mental Health Counselor.

Advice for future Seawolves?
I would give the same advice that my orientation leader gave me my freshman year. Don’t wait to “get acclimated” to get involved on campus. Sometimes it’s better to just jump right into things, and you’ll often find that the connections you build, friendships you form, and groups you join will help in getting used to college. There is no need to wait around. Additionally, your experience is what you make of it, and so if you spend your time alone, watching TV in your dorm room, then you will not have the greatest experience.

Another piece of advice I would give is to apply to EVERYTHING. Every internship, every research position, every job that seems even remotely interesting to you, apply for it. The worst that can happen is you get rejected or you change your mind later and decide to not join. Applying simply gets your foot in the door and only widens your window of opportunity.