A Strong Showing for LeBow at Drexel’s Student Life Impact Awards

As the 2022-23 academic year wrapped up, three LeBow undergraduate students and one LeBow staff member were recognized for their outstanding achievements both in and out of the classroom.

At Drexel’s annual Student Life Impact Awards, the following LeBow community members received awards:

• Yaseen Ahmid, BSBA supply chain management and logistics, finance and business analytics ’23, was named Student Leader of the Year
• Egenaz Ozvural, BS business and engineering ’24, received the Dr. Jacquelyn West-Ford Award for Civility
• Aisa Feratovic, BS marketing ’24, received the Drexel Muslim Students Association Karam Scholarship
• Noor Jemy, BS health services administration ’16, MS urban strategy ’20, assistant director, Graduate Student Services, was named Student Organization Advisor of the Year

Student Leader of the Year

Ahmid’s award is presented to an undergraduate student who has exhibited outstanding leadership and vision and has exemplified dedicated involvement and commitment to making a difference in the lives of Drexel students.

This award recognizes Ahmid’s activities and involvements during the 2022-23 school year. During his final year at LeBow, as he did throughout his five years as a student, Ahmid kept an incredibly busy schedule: working as an undergraduate researcher, peer mentor for the Steinbright Career Development Center and teaching assistant for BUSN 101, 102 and 111 at LeBow; serving as editor of the Lexerd yearbook and president of the Supply Chain Management Association; participating in Drexel’s Public Safety Oversight Committee and University Conduct Board; and taking part in seven case competitions both on and off campus.

Outside of these extensive commitments, Ahmid extended his off-campus engagement this year through a community- and education-driven project.

“At the beginning of 2023, I decided that I was going to read a supply-chain-related book every month,” he says. “Additionally, I contact the authors of the books I select, and convince them to donate ten copies so that I can distribute them to local libraries in the Philadelphia area.”

He also deepened his involvement in research and scholarship activities, presenting with a team of students about their experiences in an Intensive Course Abroad in Switzerland, and collaborating on a paper with the World Economic Forum and Global Battery Alliance.

Leading on Humanitarian Efforts

Ozvural’s award is dedicated to the memory of former Senior Associate Dean of Students Jacquelyn West-Ford, PhD, (1960–2007), and is presented to a Drexel undergraduate student who demonstrates exceptional leadership in cultivating civility and humanitarian efforts on campus and in the community through dedicated membership and contributions to religious and spiritual life and/or social justice organization.

Ozvural serves as president of both the Drexel Economics Society and the National Organization for Business and Engineering, and one of her nominators noted her “humanitarian instincts and commitment to social justice in a global context.”

“She sprung to action as soon as she became aware of the detrimental social impact of the devastating earthquake (in Turkey and Syria) on the education of the rising generation. She is poised to grow into a ‘humanitarian’ leader who will affect positive change in her profession that blends math, finance, engineering and business… I know in my heart and mind that she is meant to go places as a change agent — the world will be a better place because of her.”

Recognizing Leadership and Service

Feratovic’s scholarship is awarded annually to undergraduate students in their second through fifth years who are active members of the Drexel Muslim Students Association (DMSA) and recognizes students for their outstanding leadership and service reflective of the values of the DMSA mission. Feratovic’s nominators described her as “hard-working, dedicated, detail-oriented and passionate about the organization.”

In her role as the current Public Relations Chair, Feratovic has contributed to increasing attraction toward the organization through fundraisers, events and community service initiatives. When asked about how she would give back to the DMSA 5-10 years from now, Feratovic says, “I would love to help in planning more inter-MSA alumni events, filming large-scale events and raising money for future MSA Ramadan Iftar sponsors through my Bosnian American Community Center (BACC).

“Throughout my first Ramadan on campus, I have experienced firsthand what having the DMSA as an outlet can do for a person and know that the sisterhood we have created is a bond I will cherish for life.”

Committment to Religious Inclusivity

In another LeBow connection to the DMSA, Noor Jemy has served as the Association’s professional staff advisor since 2017. In addition to serving as assistant director of Graduate Student Services at LeBow, she provides the organization with administrative support and paves the way for Muslim inclusivity on campus. She also sits on the University’s Spiritual and Religious Life (SRL) Committee, working in tandem with the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture, the Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Student Life, and with students, campus and community chaplains to cultivate a culture of mutual respect for the variety of faith traditions on campus. Notably, in March 2023, she organized a multi-faith prayer and meditation space in Gerri C. LeBow Hall for use by students, faculty and staff.

One of her nominators writes, “She often encourages us to be leaders in our own right and take ownership of our club. She encourages us to be unapologetically proud about our faith and exercise it in all areas of our lives and points out the courage and empowerment that comes from doing so. She is a staple figure in the DMSA community and always ensures that she introduces herself to members she hasn’t met yet and expresses to them that she is a resource that is always open to them.”