A worldly scholar with hopes to be a doctor and a sassy diva with hopes to be Beyoncé seem like two completely opposite people. But like everyone’s favorite undercover popstar, with Lujain Bashir (‘18), you get the best of both worlds.

Bashir was born in Saudi Arabia to two Sudanese Muslims. Her father is a pediatrician at a local hospital in Saudi Arabia and growing up, Bashir was always very intrigued by the work that he was doing.

“We’d go to his office and see some of his patients,” says Bashir. “[I’d like to be in the medical field] to help those in need. Maybe not even just a doctor. Public health could be a good region for me because I’d be aiding more people as a whole.”

In order for Bashir and her sisters to get a better education, Bashir’s father sent the girls and their mother to the United States. When she was younger, they lived in Richmond, Virginia while her older brother attended a university there.

Even after living with her mother and sisters here in the States, Bashir remains proud of her heritage. She finds that practicing Islam with her family helps her to be a better person.

“The Islamic religion, it gives me a perspective that I shouldn’t really be judging people around me and I should understand how everyone is, rather than just always being so negative,” explains Bashir. “Because it’s more of a peaceful, respectful religion, it definitely brings in a lot of positivity.”

Since moving to Florida, Bashir’s friends have played a crucial role in her life.

“I have to admit, I’m kind of a weird person, so having friends who accept me for who I am and my sassiness, that’s definitely great,” Bashir says. “Surrounding yourself with people who are willing to accept you and do things that you actually enjoy is important, considering we’re only teenagers for a few years.”

Her most striking attributes, however, are her ambitions. In all seriousness, she wants to go into the medicine, but she also aspires for greatness of a different kind.

“To become Beyoncé would honestly be like the best thing,” Bashir says, eyes wide with excitement. “I’m going to get my degree before I go into the industry, so I can guarantee a certain future. I want to get a job that can actually buy me Chanel bags, and then the whole Beyoncé thing happens. [I’ll have] all these people swarming and my own BeyHive. But by the time I’m famous, she’s gonna be like 40 or something, so that’s all good.”