Forest Hills — During a recent rotation for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, Awatef Ayesh was reminded how daunting it can be to translate complex medical jargon to a patient in a medical exam room — especially when the translator does not fully understand the terminology.
“We saw a lot of patients who don’t speak English, and so we often had to grab a translator,” said the 2018 Forest Hills Central graduate. “Even with a translator in the middle, it didn’t feel like you had that one-on-one interaction with the patient. It felt like someone was in the middle, and it was really hard to directly communicate with the patient.”
By studying medicine at MSU, Awatef and her younger sister, Ayah, a 2019 Forest Hills Central grad, hope to help break down the barriers many immigrants face when seeking medical care.
The sisters’ parents immigrated to the United States from the Palestinian territories in the late 1990s.
“Growing up, I never saw a doctor who was Muslim and hijabi and looked like me, someone who understood what our cultural values or even religious values were,” Ayah said, referring to Muslim women who wear the traditional hijab head covering. “So I want to be that person for someone, to show them that they’re welcomed in this space, they’re being heard, and that this is a safe space for them to be taken care of.
“Because we know how it feels to be marginalized just because you don’t speak English, or you don’t look the same or you don’t speak the same.”
From ‘Little Doctor’ to Medical School
Awatef said she knew from an early age — around sixth grade — that she wanted to be a doctor.
“I’m the oldest child, so when one of my younger siblings got hurt, my parents would call me to help — to put on a Band-Aid or clean the wound,” she said. “They called me ‘little doctor,’ and that kind of grew with me. I was open to other career options, but I never felt passionate about anything other than medicine.”
‘We know how it feels to be marginalized just because you don’t speak English, or you don’t look the same or you don’t speak the same.’
— Ayah Ayesh, 2019 Forest Hills Central grad
Her love of science led her to take several Advanced Placement classes, including human anatomy.
“We had a cat dissection program in that class, and dissecting the cat and learning the anatomy hands-on really fueled my passion for it,” she recalled.
Participating in Forest Hills Central’s Science Olympiad program gave Awatef the opportunity to explore Grand Valley State University, which hosted many of the competitions. She later attended GVSU, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical science. She is now a first-year student at the MSU College of Human Medicine.
Both girls were born and raised in the West Michigan area. Their parents, who own Super Green Market in Kentwood, wanted them to stay connected to their Palestinian culture and heritage, so they spent part of their elementary school years in Palestine.
Ayah said their parents instilled in them from a young age the importance of giving back to their community and helping others — values she believes ultimately led the sisters to pursue careers in medicine and health care. Because of that, they went on a medical mission to Palestine in August 2024, and both hope to return for another mission to continue giving back to their family’s homeland.
Following in Her Sister’s Footsteps
Awatef’s journey was a big inspiration to Ayah to pursue medicine, Ayah said. Her own interest began at Central High through AP science courses and supportive teachers who fueled her curiosity.
“I think I always knew I wanted to do something with science, but the programs opened the idea of medicine and made it seem more realistic and achievable,” she said. “Because of the variety of classes I had really set my mind to it and made it seem like the most reasonable path, considering my interests.”
A tour of MSU her junior year further inspired her, motivating Ayah to excel in her final years of high school.
“Medical school felt out of reach, since no one in our family had completed college,” Ayah said. “But touring the medical school made me feel at home and that I could thrive there. It pushed me to consider Michigan State and start planning for medical school and undergrad.”
Ayah followed Awatef to GVSU, earning a bachelor’s in biomedical science. After her gap year, she entered MSU’s College of Human Medicine, where she is now a third-year student. She hopes to become an obstetrician-gynecologist in the Grand Rapids area.
“I want to be one of the few Muslim hijabi doctors who can care for multiple generations of women and listen to their stories,” Ayah said. “The community here in Grand Rapids is what brought me to where I am and inspired me to pursue medicine.”
Connecting with Their Passion
Ayah is already making an impact locally, volunteering with Grand Rapids Street Medicine, an MSU student-led organization that provides free health care to people experiencing homelessness in Kent County.
“I always thought Grand Rapids was a more privileged community, but working in these settings made me realize that no matter where we are, there are always people in need of help and support,” she said. “I’m very grateful I’ve been able to interact with that population, and I continue to volunteer there today.”
Many of Ayah’s medical rotations have been in Grand Rapids, giving her a deeper connection to West Michigan and exposing gaps in the community, including mistrust in health care among immigrant and marginalized families, which can make some hesitant to seek medical help.
Both Awatef and Ayah said they understand these challenges, having grown up with immigrant parents. They chose MSU’s College of Human Medicine because of its commitment to underserved and underrepresented communities, and its emphasis on representational medicine, ensuring that the medical workforce reflects the diversity of the population.
The sisters said they encourage high-schoolers to find that same passion.
Ayah advises students to step out of their comfort zones, explore their interests and balance academics with discovering what brings them joy.
“I would say, ‘Take advantage of the classes offered to you and really explore the different opportunities Forest Hills schools provide,’” Awatef said. “The faculty played a critical role in developing our passion for medicine. They helped us figure out what we wanted to do with our future and how we wanted to give back to our community.”
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