Excellence in Education
Harjit Kaur is a strong, intelligent and innovative woman. Twenty years ago Harjit
immigrated to the United States from Punjab, India with her family. They found a
place in West Valley and settled in. Fast forward 20 years, Harjit is graduated with
her B.S. in biomedical engineering and has plans to attend medical school with
aspirations of practicing medicine in multiethnic and urban communities.
Recognizing a need for earlier youth exposure in the fields of science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM), Harjit established the Students Achieving in
Academia and Engineering (SAAE) program at Monroe Elementary School. SAAE
is an eight-week after school program that focuses on weekly science activities
and life skills. The program not only exposes Monroe students to the STEM fields
but it also familiarizes them with higher education. Harjit has led efforts to ensure
that SAAE is sustainable for as long as possible by building a partnership with
the University of Utah and Monroe Elementary School. University of Utah students
serve as mentors to the students in the SAAE program.
In addition to SAAE, Harjit is actively involved in the Student Leaders in Diversity
Empowerment (SLIDE) club and the Sikh Temple of Utah. She has worked as an
undergraduate researcher in a lab that focused on soft tissue imaging, volunteered
with the refugee population as a Global Health Scholar, and traveled to Punjab,
India to perform a preliminary health needs assessment through the University of
Utah’s Division of Public Health.
Harjit’s dedication to service is evident as she is also a Community Engaged Scholar at the University of Utah. “I truly believe that success is more fulfilling when it
impacts more than just you. As a student I realize the importance of a community,
as it is a place where amazing ideas can be born.”
05 | VOICES | MCA.UTAH.GOV