A Birthday Surprise That Sparked a Dream

July 15, 2007 was meant to be a typical school day. There was nothing new about the classroom. The benches and the black-boards had been as shabby as they were since I got admitted to this elementary school five years back. Everything was exactly the same except that it was my 11th birthday and my best friend Rafi, who, at the time, was literally the only person I knew who always remembered my birthday, was absent for a month. I still remember him trying to conceal his tears, as it was supposedly too shameful for a boy to cry, when he came to know that he was never going to attend any classes- ever again in his life. He didn’t know what to do with all the prime numbers up to 300 he memorized. I didn’t know with whom I should celebrate my upcoming Birthday. All I knew was that I was heartbroken and left all alone. That day after school, I went to see him in his grocery shop where he started to work full time with the aim of financially supporting his family after permanently leaving his school. The moment I saw him he jumped around ecstatically and said, ‘I’m gonna come back to school again! My mother can afford it now!’.
‘It is the best birthday gift ever!’ I mumbled. He started to tell the story. It was a Bank named Grameen Bank, and soon after, his single mother was entitled to a micro-credit program under the bank, she managed to become solvent enough by selling handicrafts- something she learned to make by tradition. Having Rafi back the next day, our Geography teacher introduced us to Dr. Muhammad Yunus from a picture he brought with him in the class and informed us that he was a Nobel Laureate Economist and the founder of the Grameen Bank. The moment was so stunningly impactful for me that it made me want to study Economics even long before I knew what Economics was all about. All I knew was that I wanted to be someone like this man, who can actually make a difference, a real difference in my friend’s life and the lives of millions out there.

Chasing Dreams from Chittagong to Toledo amidst a global pandemic

With dazzling yet apprehensive eyes and nothing less than a diffident craving in my heart, I remember myself entering my first class of Econ-101 at the University of Chittagong (CU). It was in this very department where Dr. Yunus originally planned, experimented, and implemented something so magnificent that it eventually earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, the year before my 11th birthday. Looking at the plaque at the entrance of Grameen Bank Research Center initiated by Dr. Yunus in my department at CU, I immediately felt the power of academia and the strength of these ideas and concepts. The decisions that a person makes sitting in a research center at the University of Chittagong can actually make a real difference in the life of an 11-year-old kid from a village 150 kilometers away. I thought to myself, what can be more fascinating than this, and why will it not make me want to excel in this discipline? Within a couple of weeks, I was truly captivated to discover the countless possibilities economics encompasses aside from exclusively solving the problem of poverty as I presumably learned as a kid. The motivation and the encouragement I was presented with in my undergraduate level have fueled my academic pursuits. By then, I knew that I want to be an Economist, a researcher, a data scientist, a practitioner and life savior.

During my undergraduate studies in the Department of Economics at the University of Chittagong, I pushed myself harder and was blessed to achieve the highest GPA (CGPA- 3.90 out of 4) in my entire department consistently for all four years. This, in addition to a government scholarship from the Ministry of Education in Bangladesh, provided me the privilege of gaining a strong theoretical background in Advanced Micro and Macroeconomics, Econometrics, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Mathematical and Advanced Statistics, and so on. Moreover, the camaraderie that I developed with my team by organizing seminars, workshops, policy debates, intellectual discourses on real-world economic phenomena while also serving as a Vice President in Young Economists’ Society for the 2018-19 term is still fresh in my mind.

In February 2020, my aspirations led me across oceans, as I received a full funding offer for the Master’s Program at the University of Toledo, which was set to begin in fall 2020. This was more than just an academic opportunity; it was a life-long dream coming true. Coming from a rural background and being the first in my family to attend college, the moment felt unbelievable. It was a bridge from my humble beginnings to a world of untapped possibilities. But the celebration would not last long. As the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, bringing life as we knew it to a halt, my journey hit an unexpected pause. The pandemic’s disruption resulted in my admission being postponed until spring 2021.  However, I did not let this setback and frustration diminish my spirit. I channeled my energy into ‘Shabash Fakibaj’, a dynamic non-profit organization focusing on enhancing education sector in Bangladesh. This period was challenging but also invigorating. Amidst lockdowns and a global crisis, I strived to uphold my adaptability and commitment to education. It was a period of crucial learning, not just academically, but in life skills – dealing with uncertainty, maintaining positivity, and staying focused on goals despite obstacles. It wasn’t just about filling time; it became an invaluable opportunity for growth, positivity, resiliance and contribution.

Finally, in the spring 2021, I began my journey at UToledo. During my time there I maintained a 4.0 GPA while taking 15 credit hours per semester. This has allowed me to successfully obtain my degree in one year, as opposed to the standard 2 year program. I completed work on 3 term-papers (Health Economics, Regional Economics and Advanced Spatial Data Analysis), in conjunction with serving as a Teaching Assistant under Dr. Oleg Smirnov. I also earned a certification in Data Analytics.

A New Chapter at Virginia Tech Amidst a Changing World

The journey then led me to Virginia Tech as a PhD candidate in Applied Economics. Here, I wasn’t just a student; I was a part of a community striving to make sense of an unprecedented global situation. The pandemic brought challenges, but also opportunities to apply my knowledge in ways I never imagined. I dove into data analysis, not just to crunch numbers, but to tell stories – stories of resilience, adaptation, and hope. In my analytical journey, I’ve employed a range of methodologies, starting from the foundational OLS and extending to advanced techniques like time series forecasting with VAR, ARIMA, and VECM, and panel data models such as Fixed Effect and Random Effect models. My expertise also extends to ML estimation, GMM estimation, as well as the nuanced Bayesian and Spatial econometrics. Adding to this, my proficiency includes logistic regression, cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and various machine learning algorithms. This wide-ranging exploration into the world of data is what ignites my passion, as it uncovers narratives about our society, economy, and humanity. It’s more than just numbers or graphs – it’s a revealing truth that I strive to pursue in every piece of my work.

In this journey, I’ve dreamt, I’ve laughed, I’ve struggled, and I’ve triumphed. From that ordinary classroom in Bangladesh to the halls of Virginia Tech, each step has been about more than just learning economics; it’s been about uncovering narratives about our society, economy and humanity. As I stand here today, I’m not just an aspiring economist and data scientist; I’m a storyteller, a problem-solver, and a dreamer, ready to face whatever comes next with a smile and the knowledge that every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow.