Taking Her Life Back

Ruhani Amin ‘25 M.S. spent her adolescent years living in the world of higher education. The daughter of two university faculty members, she recalls childhood days spent roaming the halls of Montana State University, doodling on whiteboards while her parents worked nearby.

Filled with drive and ambition, it came as no surprise when she set out on her own higher education journey, she found a spot on the pre-med route at Montana State. After graduating with a degree in microbiology, she was accepted into medical school at the University of Washington.

For Amin, the pieces were falling into place just how she imagined, and the path forward was crystal clear – until it wasn’t.

Amin was told she could have a career, or she could have a family – she couldn’t have both.

“

I never lost sight of my dream for higher education, for career ambitions.”

Ruhani Amin ’25
M.S. in IT and Management

A Dream Deferred

Raised in a Muslim family, Amin married at age 24, the same year she began medical school, and was immediately faced with a painful ultimatum from her then-husband.

Amin was told she could either have a career, or she could have a family. She wouldn’t be supported in having both.

She chose a family.

Amin gave birth to three children and followed her now-ex-husband’s medical career from Seattle to Atlanta to Greensboro. With each move, the obstacles grew, but she persevered for herself and her children.

“The whole time I was busy taking care of the kids, moving and unpacking,” Amin said. “But I never lost sight of my dream for higher education, for career ambitions.”

In 2020, one door slammed shut for Amin when her husband abruptly left the marriage and responsibilities. But, as doors do, another one opened wide.

“I immediately thought back to my childhood when higher education was of high value, and I saw an opportunity to resurrect my dreams again.”

Finding Strength in the Struggle

Amin got to work finding a job to support herself and her family. Though she hadn’t been allowed to work full-time while married, she managed a small business selling custom bench cushions and taught herself digital marketing, website development, and branding.

With a plethora of digital marketing skills in her pocket, she landed a job working for the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a nonprofit that leads domestic violence prevention across the state.

Amin then began her search for a school that offered a flexible online program where she could pursue her passion for data analytics. She set her sights on UNC Greensboro’s Bryan School of Business and Economics.
“I learned the power of using data insights to drive business decisions through my tiny e-commerce shop, but I knew there was greater potential there,” Amin says.
Amin took a course to test the waters and found the asynchronous online course format manageable with her already hectic schedule. When the time came for her to officially decide on a graduate program, the online Master of Science in Information Technology and Management was the obvious choice.

From 2020 to 2025, Amin earned her degree one course at a time, became a Bryan School Graduate Ambassador, and even developed friendships with classmates like Lee Clark. Clark worked with Amin on several class projects during a tumultuous time in her divorce and recognized her resilience immediately.

“She was always 100% present and a servant leader,” Clark says. “By the way she showed up for her teammates, you’d never know she was experiencing so much at home.”

Rebuilding, Stronger

Balancing school, single motherhood, and full-time work wasn’t part of the original plan for Amin, but it became the path to something greater. In April 2025, she started an internship with Guilford County’s Information Technology Department, with a specific focus on Data Management and Integration Services.

She continues working for the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, using her digital marketing and analytics expertise to support an organization devoted to social change. It’s the kind of role that merges her passion for impact with her training and proves that even a path derailed can be rebuilt stronger.

“My story of overcoming abuse and adversity to achieve my academic and professional goals is not an isolated one,” she says. “We all interact with survivors of abuse in our daily lives, whether we’re aware of it or not. They live among us as neighbors, colleagues, friends, and relatives.”

Amin hopes that by sharing her journey, others might find the courage to take their first step toward something new, and that those around them will offer kindness.

“When we can listen without judgment and offer support in ways that may be small but consistent, we can work toward a world where anyone can overcome their circumstances and improve life for themselves and their families.”

For Amin, the future is no longer a deferred dream – it’s a result of her perseverance and finally reclaiming her life.

“

When we can listen without judgment and offer support in ways that may be small but consistent, we can work toward a world where anyone can overcome their circumstances and improve life for themselves and their families.”

Ruhani Amin ’25
M.S. in IT and Management

Taking Her

Life

Back

Taking Her

Life Back

“

A Dream Deferred

Finding Strength in the Struggle

Rebuilding, Stronger

“

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