December 2025 Commencement Spotlight: Medical Humanities Major Reflects on her Journey to the Medical Field

In the wake of her upcoming graduation, Laiba Khan ‘25 looks back on the many ways she has gotten involved on campus and how those experiences helped her become the person she is today in her pre-med studies.

Once again, the time has come for York College of Pennsylvania to celebrate the accomplishments of the December 2025 graduates at the annual Fall 2025 Commencement ceremony.

Around 200 recipients of Baccalaureates, Masters, and Graduate degrees will walk with their respective schools on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, in the Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center. The ceremony will begin at 10:15 a.m., and doors will open at 9:15 a.m.

During this time, York College recognizes the accomplishments of its graduating class of 2025 and all the achievements they have attained during their education. Years of hard work have come to fruition for many graduates, and the College is excited to see where their journeys will take them next.

One senior will use the experiences and knowledge she gained on campus to take her next steps toward pursuing a career in medicine. In this article, she shares how York College has impacted her education and prepared her for life beyond college.

Understanding Better Ways to Help People

York, Pennsylvania, native Laiba Khan ‘25 grew up with a fascination with social sciences and a desire to help others. Although she initially intended to pursue her college education out of state, Laiba chose to attend York College to stay close to her family and take advantage of a scholarship she had received.

She entered York College as a Sociology major, but soon discovered other programs that would allow her to study not only science, but also explore other areas such as literature and history. Now, Laiba is graduating as a pre-med student with a Medical Humanities major and a minor in Biology.

“I like that idea of an interdisciplinary major; it’s very unique to the college as well,” Laiba said. “Not many colleges have something like this program, and I’ve enjoyed my time immensely with all the opportunities that I’ve come for while attending this college.”

Many of Laiba’s professors shared their gratitude for being able to have her as one of their students. Associate Professor, Dr. Rory Kraft, acted as her advisor and expressed how wonderful it was to have Laiba as one of his students.

“Laiba is a true rock star: brilliant, curious, and innovative in connecting the humanities and the sciences,” Dr. Kraft said. “Honestly, her work sticks with me long after the semester ends; it’s that original and thought-provoking.”

Finding Purpose in Working with Others

Since switching her major, Laiba shared that her time at York College has allowed her to gain a wide variety of experiences that have helped prepare her for the future and influenced her desire to pursue a career in medicine. 

Almost all of them often center around assisting students with their studies related to Biology and Chemistry. Two of her most impactful jobs while on campus were participating as a lead tutor at the Academic Center for Success and working as a lab assistant.

“Being a lab assistant and being a tutor are both very impactful things for me,” Laiba said. “Those are two of the things I would say that shaped my pursuit towards medicine because I love working in that environment where I’m with people.”

As a lab assistant, Laiba often found herself working with a maximum of 10 to 15 students at a time. For her, it’s a very personalized experience between her and the students, where she can help guide them through vital courses for any science major, especially those on pre-med tracks like hers.

“Laiba is one of my all-time favorite lab assistants,” shared Matthew Nelson, Chemistry Lab Manager & Chemistry Hygiene Officer. “Her instant rapport with students makes her highly effective at helping the lab run smoothly and safely. Even better, her quick wit and sassy comebacks keep me on my toes and make the lab environment fun.”

As a tutor, she often has one-on-one sessions with her students and even her fellow tutors. She greatly enjoys the connections that form from those experiences, and the Director of the Academic Support Center, Dr. Kim Fahle Peck, has seen firsthand how they have built upon her character.

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“Laiba is an excellent tutor who blends knowledge and empathy to support the students she helps,” said Dr. Peck. “Because of her strengths and experience as a tutor, she was selected to be a lead tutor to mentor other tutors working in our center. In this role, she has also taken the lead on a project with other tutors creating content for introductory biology courses, creating handouts, worksheets, and videos that students can access through the ASC Canvas page for additional help.”

“I appreciate that York College offers something like that, where again, it’s more like personalized connections between smaller groups of people,” Laiba said.

Beyond the classroom, Laiba has become involved in expanding her knowledge and connecting with important communities on campus. She joined the Campus EMS in Fall 2023, completing over 400 volunteer hours with them and gaining the experience of an EMT.

“We are the group on campus for quick response, so anything that happens on campus, we get the call for that,” Laiba said. “And then once you get your certification, you can work with an ambulance company. So I also work outside of York College with another ambulance crew, First Capital.”

Laiba was also responsible for forming the Muslim Student Association. Since her first year on campus, she has hoped to create a space for the small population of Muslim students on campus to connect. They even took a recent trip to the Diyanet Center of America, a Turkish-inspired mosque and community center in Maryland.

Creating Connections Through Words and Actions

Laiba’s post-graduate plans center around her continuing her education in medical school. She has applied to several now and is waiting to hear back from them. She has also considered taking a gap year, focusing on research and continuing her volunteer work while applying for the next cycle.

She hopes to work in Pediatrics, a field she has become passionate about since shadowing a pediatrician through WellSpan in early 2024. She enjoys working with kids and would love the opportunity to work with children and their families.

Laiba expressed how much her time at York College has helped shape her into the person she is today and prepared her for the future.

“Attending an undergraduate institution is such a life-changing thing,” Laiba said. “Through it, the opportunities that are provided, the people that you meet, it’s inevitable that it’s going to change you.”

She has been able to accomplish so much on campus, ranging from lab assisting and tutoring to forming clubs and shadowing medical professionals, because of the contacts available to her. Those experiences not only contributed significantly to her applications for medical school but also shaped her as a person and helped her discover her interests. 

“I first met her in 2022, and since then, I’ve seen her take on every challenge and grow into a leader in the classroom, in the Medical Humanities major, and across campus,” said Dr. Kraft. “Now, as she heads to medical school, I have no doubt she’ll be the kind of physician we all hope for: skilled, compassionate, and deeply committed to her community."

Now, she is excited about what the future holds for her and encourages York College students not to shy away from connecting with others, whether they be professors or professionals in their desired field. Taking chances can be scary, but they often lead to wonderful opportunities for those who are ready for them.

“Talk to people,” Laiba said. “Talk to people who are running clubs, talk to people who are in your classes, talk to your professors.”

“The best opportunities will arise when you reach out not for the purpose of finding opportunities, but for the purpose of making connections with people.”