Student Spotlight
Tanzeela Jahangir
UX / Graphic Design Major
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship semifinalist
Tanzeela Jahangir moved from a small village in Pakistan to New York in 2022 to explore the educational opportunities offered here. “Coming from a quiet, peaceful village to the most fast-paced and crowded city was a big transition—and a little challenging for me,” she admitted.
She chose to major in graphic design with a concentration in user experience (UX) design because she felt it resonated with her passions, which include drawing, calligraphy, painting, arts and crafts, and designing, and her Myers-Briggs personality type indicator—extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. She also enjoys the challenge of problem-solving. “When I combined them, I realized that I could be a good UX designer.”
Two art professors, Midori Yamamura (art history) and Nathan Cooper (UX design), have had the greatest influence on her. “They are both very supportive of their students, and they are both multitaskers. I love the level of resilience, innovation, and humbleness Dr. Yamamura has in her life and actions and am motivated to be like her. I also admire the types of projects she’s involved with outside the college, including homelessness, sustainability, and climate justice,” she shared. “I am inspired by Prof. Cooper’s journey and how he connects his students to ideal places. He has a keen interest in exploring New York and shares it with his students. As a designer and social innovator, I like to explore a lot, too, so we share news about events and interesting innovations. With both, I feel we’re building a community of like-minded people.”
In just a few semesters, she’s made the most of her time. Among her long list of accomplishments, Tanzeela has taken on leadership roles in several clubs and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honors society; is in the process of launching a digital design club; and has led sustainability and research initiatives on campus. Her work includes a virtual reality design collaboration with the New York Institute of Technology and a PTK project that helped bring more refillable water stations to campus.
Tanzeela is a Dean’s List student and recipient of the Coca-Cola Gold Scholarship, the PTK Hites Scholarship, and the Gladys Brooks Foundation Award. She was also among the 467 nationwide semifinalists selected by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation for its prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive scholarship includes up to $55,000 per year to attend any four-year accredited undergraduate school in the U.S. and pursue any area of study. The finalists will be announced in May.
She said that being selected has given her confidence. “I hope to be more independent and satisfied with my efforts,” she said. She plans to pursue a degree in design and environmental studies or industrial and interaction design when she transfers, with Yale University, Smith College and Syracuse University among her top choices if named a finalist.