Student Spotlight: Farhad Mangal

CODY FINNEY/THE ARBITER

“I can’t forget the last time she was talking with me on the phone. She was in the ICO hospital. She asked me if I could go so that she could see just see me once for the last time but I couldn’t and two days after that she passed,” Farhad Mangal said, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Mangal, a senior human biology pre-med major from Kabul, Afghanistan, lost his mother 14 months ago. He said it strengthened his ambition to become a medical doctor. The last time he saw his mother was near the end of 2006, just before he came to the United States.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Mangal said he didn’t know what to think as he arrived in America.

“I became really nervous. I thought that they were taking me back to Asia or something with the small airplane … Boise, from the airplane at night, it’s in the middle of mountains and I was just able to see the lights and then I thought, ‘Oh my God! I think they are taking me to immigration office or they might’ve send me to an island where criminals or prisoners are,’ ”
Mangal said.

Once he was off the plane, Mangal met his family friend—who is now his wife—and was relieved to learn that he was in Boise. While adjusting to American culture, Mangal has been through a few odd
incidents.

In the Middle East, cops have to block a car to pull it over. Because the civilian is the one committing a crime, it is his or her responsibility to approach the cop.

“I was thinking that I was still in Asia or in Pakistan, so I was driving on the wrong side when the police came behind of me,” Mangal said. “He thought that I’m a drunk driver, you know, driving on the wrong side of the road and I’m trying to escape. And then I explained it to him … so he was pretty nice, he just gave me a warning.”

Having lived here almost four years now, Mangal has grown accustomed to life in America and is fond of Boise.

“People are very nice. I am impressed with their behavior,” Mangal said. “By facing all these different cultures, as of now, I’m pretty easy with adjusting myself with the cultural gap or cultural differences.”

Mangal, the son of an ambassador and one of six children, lived a wealthy life in Afghanistan and India as a child.

“We had drivers, we had a sweeper who would clean the home, we had a gardener,” Mangal said. “We would do nothing except sleep, eat and study.”

When the Taliban took over Kabul, Mangal’s family had to move to Pakistan and live there as refugees. Mangal’s life changed drastically. His family then had to live in a concrete apartment building where electricity was only sometimes on.

“As of now when I think back I’m really happy for the transition because that was a good opportunity for me to know that … in this world we have poor people also, that they need attention,” Mangal said. “When I was the son of a diplomat … I was under the view that everyone was having the same life as I was having.”

Mangal’s realization of poverty in Pakistan motivated him to become a doctor. Now, his goal in life is to go back to the Middle East and open a school or hospital in his hometown.

“My mother passed away almost a year and two months ago and she passed away because of not having sufficient health (care),” Mangal said. “I don’t want many other senior females or males to lose their lives because of not having enough for basic health related needs and requirements.”

The now 31-year-old is well on his way to becoming the doctor that his father asked him to be. With the support of his wife Maryam Sabetian—also a student at Boise State—and financial support of his brother, Fraidoon Mangal, he has successfully been able to maintain a 3.82 GPA. He has also shadowed two doctors a total of 80 hours and done volunteer work at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and the Veteran Affairs emergency room hospital.

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Posted by stephaniecasanova on Oct 3 2011. Filed under News, Sub Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.