Ariful Karim

• Asian
• Bilingual/multilingual
• Individuals from a socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., individuals who were or are currently homeless or in the foster care system; were eligible for federal food and nutrition programs [for 2 or more years]; were eligible for Pell grants; received WIC; have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor's degree; grew up in a rural or low-income area)

• Student/Trainee Assistant
• Student/Trainee Scholarship
• SPS Conference Mentor

• Thursday, June 12, 2025 (Morning)
• Thursday, June 12, 2025 (Afternoon)
• Friday, June 13, 2025 (Morning)
• Friday, June 13, 2025 (Afternoon)

Thank you for your consideration and I hope you are doing well! As a previous student assistant in AACN 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona, I feel comfortable and capable of returning for another AACN conference. I loved my time working with fellow trainees and assistants in serving the neuropsychological community in a small way. As a current postdoctoral fellow in pediatric neuropsychology, I am committed to serving the children and families I work with. My experience has involved working in inpatient units, private and public schools, private practices, and outpatient hospital setting. The common theme amongst all of these settings has been enjoying working with a team of people committed to helping those in need.

It certainly has not been a straightforward road to becoming a neuropsychology postdoctoral resident. As the first-generation child of Bengali immigrants growing up in a low SES families, I did not see myself represented in many fields I was interested in. I hope to give back that representation to the next generation of immigrant students and inspire them to see that it is not only possible, yet it is worth it if you love this work that we do. In many professional settings, I was the sole identity of color or immigrant status in the room. While that carried a large weight, I see greater diversity in our profession than ever before. It is this hope of this trend increasing that helps me persevere and achieve all that I have accomplished.

As previously mentioned, I was a student assistant in Scottsdale, Arizona for AACN 2025. While the weather was hot, I have fond memories of the AACN conference as a worker, a presenter, and an attendee. It was an honor to meet fellow colleagues while working shifts, chat about advances and complex issues in our field, and present a poster on a pediatric neuropsychology topic. I look forward to visiting Chicago and have already eagerly debated which sessions to attend as I wish to attend as many as possible. With my recent experience, I feel more than capable to return as a student assistant and help fellow assistants. One of the greatest gifts of our work is all of the people we meet. I look forward to greeting and aiding my fellow neuropsychology-inclined colleagues at this conference in Chicago.

My mentorship experience has truly exemplified my love of mentoring others. From being a student mentor in college, to a preceptor at the inpatient unit I worked, to being a teacher assistant in graduate school, and to presently training a 5th year intern, I have learned so much from those experiences. As a pediatric neuropsychology postdoctoral fellow, my love of working with children comes from a place of teaching and mentoring the next generation. Each experience I am gifted with training a student, I use to aid future experiences. As aforementioned, I did not see myself represented often throughout my professional training and I hope I can inspire current trainees that it is possible for other first generation students of color to become doctors that specialize in neuropsychology. Along with this, as recent graduate myself, I understand and am grappling with the financial realities of our excellent training. As someone managing the high cost of living in NYC on a postdoctoral salary and with 9 years of student loans, attending AACN may not be possible without this award. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.