Tajila Mullahkhel is a dynamic chemical engineer, entrepreneur, and mom whose journey spans continents and disciplines. Born in Afghanistan and raised in Pakistan throughout her early years, she immigrated to america as a young person—a transition that marked the start of her educational {and professional} ascent. Tajila earned her diploma in Chemical Engineering from the College of Utah, the place she additionally contributed to biomimetics analysis and taught Pashto language programs.
She later utilized her experience at Fresenius Medical Care, the place she held roles in sustaining engineering and challenge administration. Now self-employed, Tajila Mullahkhel stays pushed by a deep-rooted dedication to innovation, training, and household. Exterior her skilled life, she is a passionate advocate of a wholesome way of life, enjoys working, strolling, and baking together with her kids, and quietly contributes to philanthropic causes. Her life story is a strong mix of resilience, mental curiosity, and cultural pleasure—qualities that proceed to form her journey and the communities she touches.
You moved from Afghanistan to the U.S. as a teen. How did that transition affect your id and aspirations?
The transition was each jarring and enlightening. Coming from Afghanistan and spending my early years in Pakistan, I grew up with a powerful sense of cultural rootedness and household. Once I arrived within the U.S., I used to be out of the blue immersed in a brand new language, tradition, and academic system. Whereas the preliminary adjustment was powerful—navigating highschool as a newcomer—I discovered power in training. It turned my path to adaptation and ambition. It taught me adaptability and perseverance, and people classes proceed to information my life and work.
Why did you select to check Chemical Engineering, and the way has that formed your worldview?
Chemical engineering is the intersection of logic, creativity, and real-world impression. I’ve at all times been fascinated by how issues work—from chemical reactions to techniques design. Learning it taught me to suppose systematically, clear up advanced issues, and strategy challenges with self-discipline. It additionally gave me the instruments to pursue various alternatives—from educational analysis in biomimetics to hands-on engineering in healthcare. It’s a lens by means of which I see each issues and prospects.
You labored in biomimetics analysis. Are you able to inform us what that concerned and why it excited you?
Biomimetics is about studying from nature to design higher techniques. In my analysis function, we explored how organic constructions—like lotus leaves or gecko toes—might encourage extra environment friendly supplies or surfaces. It was fascinating to mix biology, chemistry, and physics in a single challenge. What I liked most was the humility it instilled: nature is the last word engineer. That perspective influenced how I strategy problem-solving throughout disciplines.
At Fresenius Medical Care, you held engineering and challenge administration roles. What did you are taking away out of your time there?
It was a really hands-on, sensible setting. I used to be concerned in sustaining engineering, which meant fixing points in real-time, enhancing product efficiency, and managing interdisciplinary groups. The challenge administration aspect required communication abilities and agility—particularly in a healthcare setting the place stakes are excessive. It taught me how you can translate technical abilities into collaborative management. That have has served me nicely in self-employment.
How has your id as a mom formed your strategy to each work and life?
Motherhood is my best trainer. It grounds me, retains me targeted, and reinforces my values. Being a mom in a technical area could be difficult—you juggle deadlines with dinner, crew conferences with college occasions—nevertheless it additionally brings perspective. I need my kids to see that keenness and duty can coexist. Baking with them or happening walks is as significant as any skilled milestone.
You’ve taught Pashto on the College of Utah. What did language educating deliver to your journey?
Instructing Pashto was a technique to reconnect with my roots and share my tradition. Language isn’t simply communication—it’s id, reminiscence, and historical past. Within the classroom, I wasn’t simply educating vocabulary; I used to be opening a window into Afghan heritage. It was a privilege and in addition a reminder that our native languages maintain energy. It helped me steadiness my scientific aspect with a deep cultural dimension.
You’ve mentioned you do charity in privateness. Why is that necessary to you?
For me, charity isn’t about recognition—it’s about intention. Rising up, I noticed how even small acts of kindness might imply every little thing to somebody. I carry that with me, and I train my children the identical. Giving privately preserves the dignity of each the giver and the receiver. It’s a private expression of gratitude for what I’ve been given.
How do you keep a wholesome way of life within the midst of a busy schedule?
Routine and mindset. Operating, strolling, and jogging aren’t simply bodily actions for me—they’re rituals of readability and steadiness. I make time, even when it’s simply 20 minutes a day. I additionally contain my kids so it turns into a household behavior. Bodily well being helps psychological resilience, particularly in a high-responsibility life. I contemplate it non-negotiable.
What function does journey play in your private growth?
Journey jogs my memory how fantastically various and interconnected our world is. Each place has classes—whether or not it’s about meals, tradition, or values. It challenges your assumptions and evokes empathy. For me, it’s additionally a technique to recharge and introduce my kids to other ways of dwelling and pondering. It’s training in movement.
What would you like your legacy to be—in your kids, your group, and your area?
I need to be remembered as somebody who lived with integrity, gave again quietly, and by no means stopped studying. For my kids, I hope to mannequin braveness and curiosity. For my group, I need to be a bridge—between cultures, disciplines, and generations. And in my area, I need to symbolize the concept engineers could be deeply human, and that ladies—particularly from immigrant backgrounds—belong on the forefront of innovation.
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