Shadow A Scientist founder says: ‘Don’t struggle like I did’
- Wits Alumni Relations
Zuha Ajlan wants to share the possibilities that careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics offer.
Witsie Zuha Ajlan (BSc 2020, BSc Hons 2021, MSc Med 2023) says as a third-year science student, she accidentally walked into the wrong lecture hall. Feeling too awkward to leave, she stayed to listen. What she heard made a significant impact on her career path.
Ajlan stumbled into a showcase of research and career opportunities at Wits Medical School – a Research Symposium. “I was floored,” she says.
“STEM is very multidisciplinary, and people have many interests. When I selected my majors in first year, I chose based on my then-current understanding of the subject, but it was only later that I identified different careers, research and opportunities. I found the careers I could go into were not restricted by my majors. In order to transition into different fields, I needed to find ways to bridge the knowledge gap: whether through experience or classes.
“I vowed to mentor students once I was a postgraduate student, so they don’t have to struggle like I did.”
Ajlan, who completed her matric at Mondeor High School, lived in Pakistan until grade 9. In 2022, as vice president of the Wits Students’ Pathology Society, she founded a youth-led initiative Shadow A Scientist. Its guiding mission is to expose underrepresented youth to research environments, mentorship and practical skills training in STEM careers. The organisation is now active across South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon and Lesotho.
The organisation's programmes offer students the chance to connect with scientists through in-person visits; facility tours and researcher Q&A sessions; hands-on workshops on practical lab techniques as well as invitations to talks discussing STEM careers, research roles, and opportunities.
Shadow A Scientist has established partnerships with Wits departments and research institutions. In 2024, for example, a research unit visit to the Antibody Immunity Research Unit facilitated by Dr Jinal Bhiman (BSc 2007, BSc Hons 2008, MSc Med 2013), brought learners from seven provinces together and sparked interest from neighbouring countries.
What started with only 18 first-year biological students in an “Introduction to Life Sciences” group, has grown significantly and in 2024, the organisation became a registered nonprofit organisation in South Africa and fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (US).
“In just under three years, we’ve reached over 2 000 students and maintain strong partnerships, with over 35 STEM fields represented, over 60 volunteers, four chapters in South Africa and bases in Kenya, Lesotho, and Cameroon,” Ajlan says.
She was recently nominated for the Influencer Magazine Awards in the “Changemaker of the Year” category and hopes to pursue her PhD in New Zealand focusing on developing therapies for neurological cancers.
Find out more from the Shadow A Scientist website or its skills development web-based app.