Sobia Azhar Khan
Sobia Azhar Khan was working as a graphic designer when she realized that wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life. She longed to write.
She started classes at Richland in 2002 and returned to her love of literature and writing. Between literature classes with Scott Shepard and writing classes with Rica Garcia, Sobia says her love for the written word "increased many folds. Rica nurtured, and encouraged me as a writer that would not have been possible elsewhere."
Sobia joined the award-winning campus newspaper, the Richland Chronicle, where she worked with students from all ethnicities and backgrounds – as valuable experience for the international student who was unfamiliar with America and its diverse culture. Sobia ultimately was the Chronicle’s news editor.
It wasn’t long before Sobia had enough credits to transfer to the University of Texas at Dallas, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in literary studies. Convinced there was more to be learned and explored, Sobia pursued a master’s in literary studies, which she completed in 2008.
Sobia’s not through yet. She’s halfway through a doctorate degree and hopes to take qualifying exams next year. She’s teaching sophomore-level Introductory Creative Writing. In addition, her stories have been published and she will present her scholarly work at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association conference this year.
"Creative writing, teaching, and further exploring the parameters of literature found their roots in my work at Richland," she said. "My willingness to keep going, and being competitive, stems from my experiences working at the Richland Chronicle. I truly am indebted to Richland College for making who I am today."
While Sobia has been pursuing higher education, she and her husband have been raising three children. Their eldest son is almost 15, their middle boy is 13, and their little girl is 8.
"With my older boys I know they are also equally motivated to go into higher education because that is all they've seen growing up," Sobia said. "They have inherited my love for books, the eagerness to know more, and to work hard."