LEWISTON — Hamdi Mohamed is driven by academic success, something instilled in him from a young age by his parents.

Entering his senior year at Lewiston High School, the 17-year-old has high professional aspirations coupled with a sense of dedication to his community.

Mohamed was one of the junior marshals at this year’s high school graduation, president of the junior class and a member of the National Honor Society. This summer he is attending a medical research program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

And in between taking several advanced placement classes, he is a member of the high school’s robotics team.

But perhaps even more impressive, he is on track to get his high school diploma and has enough college credits to earn an associate degree.

Where does all this ambition come from?

“Ever since I was in grade school, my parents have tried to put me ahead, like, give me an edge in my academics,” he said. “And I even remember before going to grade school my mom would sit down with me and she would do anything educational, she would do maybe a little bit of basic math, do some reading with me and that’s what sparked my academic excellence, I guess.”

He also has a desire to give back to the Lewiston community through his future professional ambitions – opening his own medical practice, he said.

Working toward those future ambitions this summer, he hopes to pass the certified nursing assistant exam and start working part time for Central Maine Medical Center during his senior year of high school.

It will give him his first taste of working in a hospital and the experience of caregiving, a perspective he hopes will help make him a better doctor in the future, he said.

That detail to patient care stuck out to instructor Michelle Allen in his Lewiston Regional Technical Center nursing assistant class. He would talk to the residents he cared for during clinicals and took the time to learn about their lives, she said.

“During our clinical rotation he provided excellent care to the residents,” she said. “… He definitely brought a smile to the residents that he worked with.”

He would also help explain math problems to classmates, taking on a bit of a teaching role with his peers to help them understand things better, she said.

“His dedication to help others and improve our school community stands out in my mind,” she said. “He is always willing to help out anyone. … He truly is wise beyond his years.”

His desire to help and heal people was largely inspired by his parents’ journey into health care through nursing. As new Mainers, his parents started working in the medical field after they moved to Lewiston when he was very young.

Watching them hit the ground running as they attained their General Educational Development certificate and then went on to nursing school, he remembers all the work and effort his mother put into gaining her nursing degree, he said.

Seeing his father take on various jobs over the years to support their family also instilled a strong sense of work ethic, he said.

In the more than 35 years of her education career, Lewiston High School teacher Kathy County said there have only been two students who impressed her as much as Hamdi does.

“Hamdi has a gift for seeing the big picture and also predicting possible outcomes of multiple scenarios,” she said in a recommendation letter for Mohamed earlier this year. “He ensures that all tasks and projects not only meet but exceed expectations, often while adhering to tight deadlines.”

County described him as hardworking and dedicated.

“Outstanding problem-solving skills,” “remarkable ability to work well under pressure,” “exceptional leadership qualities,” a “natural team player” are some of his qualities listed in the letter.

Using those qualities to propel him to college, Mohamed is considering an undergraduate degree at Bates College or Bowdoin College. Both schools offer research opportunities, with Bates being close to home, he said. As for medical school, he has no firm preferences at this time.

Though many Maine students dream of the day they can kiss their hometown’s goodbye, Mohamed feels different. Though he acknowledges that his educational ambitions will take him out of the state for a period of time, he hopes to plant his roots in the city where he grew up.

“In my eyes, I don’t bite the hand that feeds me,” he said. “I want to give back to this community. I want to leave an impact in Maine. I don’t want to just take the resources and just get out of here. I think that’s why I want to stay here.”