Mimoza Meholli, M.D.

From a war-laden life in Kosova, to medical school in Israel, Dr. Meholli made her dreams of becoming a United States physician come true.

On one life-changing day at school in 1996, Prishtina native Mimoza Meholli met Alice Mead, an American children’s book writer who was on her second visit to Kosova. Mead was visiting to document and report on the discriminations of Albanians in Kosova, with the hopes that she could raise global awareness about this troubling and growing issue. While at a local high school—at that time, an “underground” business in a private home—Mead visited Meholli at class and asked her what she envisioned for her future. When Meholli replied that she wanted to study science, Mead knew what she had to do—she invited her to the United States to complete her high school education. “Leaving my family and my country within a dire political situation, where war was imminent, was extremely difficult for me,” says Meholli. “I knew I was stepping into a new world and was determined to take that leap of faith.” Meholli moved