After 13 years of applying, in 2018 Anuj Kamani’s family was finally granted a visa to emigrate from India and begin a new life in America. Today, he is being recognized as one of the best and brightest community college students in Pennsylvania.

Kamani, a second-year liberal studies major at Montgomery County Community College, has been selected for the 2020-2021 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges, and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

This recognition honors an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities. To qualify, students must have completed at least 36 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

“It feels amazing,” said Kamani of the award.

Before settling in North Wales, his family lived in a small town just outside Bombay, India. His parents’ decision to uproot, he said, was one of the best decisions they could have ever made.

“Moving to the U.S. was perhaps the greatest choice of my life,” he said. “When I was in my nation, I didn’t have the foggiest idea what I wanted to do. I changed a great deal. Today I have an objective to finish.”

When Kamani, who turned 20 in March, first arrived in the U.S., he didn’t speak English but had dreams of becoming an engineer. Neither of his parents went to college, so the higher education system was new to him. He couldn’t afford to go to a four-year institution, so he chose to enroll at MCCC in the fall of 2019 instead. The first semester was challenging as he tried to take courses while still learning a new language.

“I was concerned when I first came here in light of the fact that I have a language issue,” he said. “But I never gave up.”

After his first semester, Kamani decided he wanted to change his major to dental hygiene. That program ended up not being a good fit for him, but he knew he wanted to continue to pursue a career in the medical field. So he changed majors again to liberal studies and will study biology at Temple University this fall. The goal is to become a physician’s assistant.

Kamani began to excel in his classes and currently holds a 3.79 GPA. He qualified for the Act 101 Scholars Program, which provides free intensive case management, advising, educational planning, tutoring, career planning, mentoring and outreach to students facing educational, personal and financial challenges. The program helped him obtain financial aid to afford to continue studying in the fall.

Outside the classroom, Kamani is involved both on campus and in the community. He became a PTK member last fall, which allows him to participate in the Honors in Action service program and have access to transfer scholarships opportunities, receive member discounts and wear special regalia attire during commencement in recognition of their membership.

Kamani also volunteers as an information director at the front desk at Abington-Lansdale Hospital. He’s hoping the experience will help him in his pursuit of a career in medicine.

“This my first time working at a hospital,” he said. “Every patient or visitor passes by me before they enter into the hospital. They have to check in and check out.”

Ultimately, he’s hoping to transfer to a different section of the hospital.

“There’s no space available in the ER because of COVID. It’s opening soon,” he said. “When they open the ER section, I want to transfer because that’s what I want to do.”

When he arrived in the U.S. for the first time, Kamani was a stranger in a new world, unsure about what he wanted to do with his future. Today he’s among the top of his class and his future couldn’t be brighter. He’s ready to continue his education, with the hope he’ll be able to roll up his sleeves someday soon and help save lives. That’s the American dream.