A foundation of support

“I never felt alone. Wright State always felt like it was there to help me and support me in my journey.”— Faminaz Karazha ’20

When Faminaz Karazha first arrived at Wright State University, she chose more than a college. She chose a community.

Pregnant during her first semester, navigating family responsibilities and adjusting to life in a new state, Karazha needed more than a degree program. She needed support, flexibility and people who believed in her.

Wright State, she says, gave her all three and helped launch a career rooted in service, leadership and resilience.

Six years after earning her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Karazha was honored by the Wright State University Alumni Association with its 2026 Grad of the Last Decade Award. The award recognizes recent undergraduate alumni who have achieved notable success in their careers, volunteer service or professional and service organizations.

Karazha came from Missouri to enroll in Wright State because it felt like a family.

“I never felt alone,” she said. “Wright State always felt like it was there to help me and support me in my journey.”

A first-generation college graduate, Karazha balanced her classes with raising a growing family, welcoming her second child before graduating from Wright State. Despite the demands, she excelled academically and worked as a student research assistant in the Math Cognition Lab.

She credits several Wright State faculty and staff with supporting her, including one professor who gave her a card that she still reads whenever she needs encouragement.

“It always encourages me to do better things and help more people and makes me realize what I do actually matters,” Karazha said.

After graduating in 2020, Karazha transitioned her passion for helping others into health care administration. Today, she serves as administrator of Preferred Elite Care, a Medicaid-contracted, non-medical home care agency serving seniors and adults with disabilities across the Dayton region.

Faminaz Karazha ’20 received the 2026 Graduate of the Last Decade Award from the Wright State University Alumni Association. (Photo by Erin Pence)

Her path into health care leadership was personal. Before attending Wright State, Karazha worked as a home health aide, gaining firsthand insight into how quality care can transform lives.

“Working directly with clients and families showed me how deeply quality services affect people’s lives,” she said. “Over time, I realized I wanted to influence care on a broader level by building stronger systems, supporting caregivers and ensuring high standards across the services.”

Under her leadership, Preferred Elite Care has earned regional recognition for quality and compassion, including being named Best Home Health Care Service in Miami County and receiving awards for leadership and community impact. Karazha has continued to expand her expertise, earning an MBA from the University of Dayton and is now pursuing a registered nursing license to further strengthen caregiver education and care standards.

For Karazha, Wright State was the first step on her path to success. Her Wright State degree, she said, opened doors that she never thought were possible.

“Getting one degree proved that I was able to do more and open more doors,” she said. “I guess the sky’s the limit.”

Receiving the Grad of the Last Decade Award was both affirming and emotional, especially following the recent loss of her father, who had been one of her biggest supporters.

“When I first got the phone call saying that I won this award, he was probably the first one I wanted to call,” Karazha said. “He’s always been there for me. He’s always encouraged me to do bigger things and help people.”

Throughout Karazha’s journey, Wright State remained a constant source of support academically, personally and professionally. She credits the university’s culture of care with shaping both her confidence and her career.

“Wright State has been more like a family to me, and people have always been there for me when I needed them,” Karazha said. “If I needed help — in my personal life or educationally — they were always there and they always supported whatever I needed. I guess I am who I am because of that.”

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