Tahmina was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. After graduating from high school, she received the top score on the entrance exam for Kabul Medical University. In January, 2020, she fled Afghanistan and moved to Tajikistan, where she taught English to Afghan refugees. In this role, she heard countless stories of hardship from people marked by war.
In 2021, she was admitted to Columbia University School of General Studies and will major in psychology and creative writing. Through her education, Tahmina hopes to reflect the voices of Afghan people and advocate for their rights. She is particularly interested in Afghanistan's culture, Afghanis' simple and classic lifestyle, and studying the psychological impact of war and displacement on Afghan people.