Sultana is a former child refugee who fled the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. She recalls her earliest memories of being tossed over a wall by her parents while the American school in Kabul was under lockdown, on Valentine’s Day in 1979.

Experiencing imprisonment and interrogation, Sultana and her family eventually made it to the US Embassy in Islamabad. After a 2-year vetting process, Sultana and her family resettled in West Virginia in 1984.  

Despite the past, Sultana received a degree in chemistry and an MA in History from West Virginia University. She became a teacher and educated students on Africana Studies while pursuing her doctoral studies.

Sultana relocated to Northeast Florida to work with her husband in his private Nephrology practice and acquired a Wellness Counseling Certificate from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology.

Sultana is currently the Program Officer for USCRI’s Behavioral Health Support Services field team, assisting Afghan citizens and welcoming their arrival to Florida.