Meet Our Student Staff

Ardeshir is currently pursuing a B.S. in Biology and intends to apply to medical schools. He has a background in aerospace engineering, including a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus on fluid dynamics, from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a decade of experience as a management board member and owner of an engineering company involved in planning and project control for the construction of metro lines and stations in Tehran.

Fun Facts: Ardeshir loves visiting beach destinations and spending hours swimming and sunbathing by the shore. Additionally, he has a passion for both running and road biking, often dedicating ample time to pursuing those activities with enthusiasm.

Asma is a second-year graduate student pursuing a master's degree in Special Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Education and Commerce and completed master’s in Sociology and Education. Asma worked for six years in India as a teacher for middle school students teaching English, Social Studies, and Global Citizenship. She hopes to have a career in teaching students with special needs and eventually pursue her Ph.D.

Fun Facts: Asma likes to play lawn tennis and badminton. She also likes listening to music and watching movies.

David is a graduate student pursuing an M.A. in TESOL. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. David is an avid reader who also likes to write short stories in his free time. In the future, if it is kind, he hopes to teach abroad — preferably at the university level.

Fun Facts: David loves to play video games with his friends and fluffy dogs. He is also a heavy proponent of the afternoon nap.

Habib is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He is an international student from India. He plans to gain a lot of experience and participate in internships before graduating.

Fun Facts: Habib really enjoys reading, especially crime thrillers, and watching psychological thriller movies. Recently, he has been into rap from his home country and loves beatboxing. He was a runner up in a local beatbox tournament.

Jared is a graduate student in Social Work. His bachelor's degree is in Psychology, and his research focuses on gender identity development. Before starting a school career, Jared worked in education as a behavior management specialist and trained animals. He has a passion for helping others find their joy and obsessively talks about microjoys and how to find them. After completing his MSW, Jared plans to go into private practice and support those exploring their gender identity.

Fun Facts: Jared has had the opportunity to visit every continent but one and has traveled around the world three times. His bucket list place to visit is the Galapagos Islands to see the giant tortoises. Jared is also an accomplished artist who paints and creates themes that have to do with emotional development.

Jatziry is an undergraduate student double majoring in Spanish and K-12 Education with a minor/endorsement in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). In the future, Jatziry hopes to teach Spanish and ESL at the high school level, while also helping to run an ESL program for parents and guardians within her school district. 

Fun Facts: Jatziry loves to spend time with her loved ones, reading and cooking during her free time. She also enjoys being out in nature and bike riding during the summer.

Jennifer is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in Elementary Education with an ESL endorsement. Her academic journey began at Harry S Truman College, where she obtained an associate degree in Liberal Arts. She earned a bachelor's degree in Music from NEIU in 2021. Jennifer's passion for education led her back to NEIU, where she began her graduate work in Fall 2022. She is one of the first members of her family to pursue a master's degree, and she shares her educational journey with her sister, who is also a graduate student at NEIU.

Fun Facts: Jennifer adores anything pink and Hello Kitty-themed. She also likes collecting silly little trinkets such as Sonny Angels and Kewpie dolls.

Kio is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching in Middle Level Education with a focus on English language arts. She earned a B.A. in Music from NEIU in 2023. Kio has been a vocalist for a decade and vocally trained since she was 10 years old. She is a crossover singer, a mezzo-soprano opera singer and sings musical theater. Kio teaches voice lessons part time and also works at The Home Depot. Kio has love for teaching and literature which inspired her to continue her higher education journey to become an English teacher. 

Fun Facts: She enjoys learning new things and loves to learn and spread knowledge to others. She loves teaching and watching others have that 'light bulb moment' when learning something new.

Laila is an undergraduate student majoring in Elementary Education. She is passionate about helping children learn and grow. Laila hopes to use her degree to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for elementary-aged children. She plans to pursue a career in teaching after she graduates.

Fun Facts: Laila is a big fan of books and reading. She loves to explore new places and try new things. Laila is also passionate about baking and enjoys making desserts for family and friends.

Mateen is a graduate student working on a master's degree in Mathematics. He completed his bachelor's degree in Mathematics at NEIU and has been tutoring math at the Learning Success Center since Fall 2021. Currently, he is working on his graduate project in which he is determining the best methods to accurately predict volume of cell cancer growth.

Fun Facts: Mateen's favorite places to be on campus are the P.E Complex, Pedroso Center, and the Library. During the semester, he spends his free time at the gym playing basketball, lifting weights and joining the free NEIU gym classes. In the summer, he likes to ride his bike by the lake.

Olga is a first-generation undergraduate student majoring in Political Science, concentrating on international relations and comparative politics. Her primary academic interests are East Asian and Russian politics. Her second major is Interdisciplinary Studies. Olga plans to become an educator after earning a Ph.D. in Political Science. She is also interested in the human resources, marketing, journalism and fashion industries. Olga loves learning languages like Chinese, Thai, Korean and Japanese; her goal is to speak many languages to communicate with everyone in their native language.

Fun Facts: Olga's primary goal in her study path was to get her degree in the U.S. Her favorite American singers are Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Rihanna. When she came to the U.S. to study at NEIU, her biggest dream came true: walking on Times Square while listening to all her favorite American songs!

Syed is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in Chemistry. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad. He has conducted research and, after completing his master's degree, intends to have a successful career in pharmaceutical analytical research and development. Syed has a strong passion for chemistry and enjoys helping chemistry students. He hopes to eventually pursue his Ph.D. and become a professor.

Fun Facts: In his spare time, Syed enjoys playing chess, gaming, reading, watching movies, listening to music and traveling.

Shekira is an undergraduate student double majoring in Communication, Media and Theatre and Psychology. Beyond her academic pursuits, she has a profound passion for the arts, including writing poetry, songwriting, singing and exploring holistic health through both practice and writing. As a tutor, her goal is to support students in finding their own voice to express themselves. Shekira aspires to further her education through graduate school, aiming to achieve a Ph.D. in her field of interest.

Fun Facts: In high school, Shekira participated in a documentary called "Louder Than a Bomb."