Prior to his undergraduate studies at Tufts University, Tanzeel Ahmed excelled in mathematics and the sciences while playing a leading role on the varsity lacrosse team at Herricks High School since 10th grade. It was during this time that he began teaching younger students as a personal tutor for 2-3 students throughout his high school career. After graduating from high school, Tanzeel decided to pursue broader academic interests while expanding his scientific studies majoring in both Religious Studies and Biology. In May of 2011, Tanzeel received his bachelor’s degree and two months later received a 36S on his MCAT (98th percentile). Despite his uncertainty in a career in medicine, Tanzeel has a clear interest in the biological sciences demonstrated by his work at NYU Langone Medical Center from 2011 to 2013. His work at Dr. Gord Fishell’s neuroscience lab culminated in a publication in the journal Neuron titled “A Modular Gain-of-Function Approach to Generate Cortical Interneuron Subtypes from ES Cells”. Since August of 2013, Tanzeel has been studying at Icahn School of Medicine in pursuit of a Masters in Biomedical Sciences with a focus in neuroscience. While Tanzeel’s professional academic background is focused on the biological sciences, he has spent extensive time studying philosophy, reading German, Russian, and South American literature, and practicing photography. Believing in the futility of education without motivation, Tanzeel has been teaching English grammar and writing at RQM Tutorial since the fall of 2013 with a focus on understanding through active engagement of the material rather than rote practices and exercises.