My name is Hanadi Tajir, and I am a first generation to attend college. Currently, I attend Mohawk Valley Community College. My major is biology/permed.

I was born in Sudan, but when I was three years old, my family relocated to Egypt, where I was raised and educated. My family moved to the United States during my fifth-grade year. I speak Arabic, English, and a tribal language. My family is made up of five children, the oldest of whom is me. Some interesting facts about me include the fact that I enjoy running and learning about the functions of the human body. My aspiration is to become one of my community's most successful general/neurosurgeons.

Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa opened many doors for me; joining during my first semester was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was appointed Vice President of Leadership after one month of attending meetings and participating in their activities, which pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone. There, I met inspiring advisors and a team that treated me as if I were family and accepted me for who I am.

As president of the New York region, I promised to bring the chapters together to work collaboratively and independently so that we can celebrate our differences, and I am excited to take on the responsibility of making the chapters in New York State stringer than ever before. And since we are now a family, I will work with my current and previous teams, advisors, chapters, and each and every student to ensure that PTK students have opportunities to learn from this and make the most of it as part of their journey. It is impossible to make a difference in the world unless we hear from people with diverse perspectives and experiences who can inspire future generations.

Please do not hesitate to contact me; I am here to assist you in achieving your goals!!!!!

My name is Paula Barlow. I live in Rochester, New York, and I am 46 years old. I am a mother of 5 sons, and 3 of my sons are or have served in the military. With the passing of my oldest son, I decided to go to Monroe Community College to begin my journey in family law. I graduate this spring with my Associate’s in science. I am returning to MCC in the fall to join the Paralegal Program so that I may start my career working in the law field. I am a strong advocate for students and have held several different leadership roles to help me be a great leader for Phi Theta Kappa Western Regional District. These leadership roles include several positions in the Student Government Association, Student Trustee, Vice-Chair of Veterans Affairs with SUNY Student Assembly, and Vice President of the College Project with Phi Theta Iota chapter. All the different leadership roles I have held show that I genuinely care about the students I serve. I welcome the opportunity to serve in the Western District Regional Officer position.

My goal is to make a career in the law field and advocate for children’s and Grandparent’s rights. I have other passions, such as playing the piano, learning, and serving the students I lead. I never let a day go by that I don’t learn something new or practice playing the piano. I am most passionate about serving the students I represent.

When I am not serving as a student leader, I am learning new skills to help me become a more rounded and diverse leader at MCC and on the regional level of Phi Theta Kappa. I am delighted to represent the Western Regional District Officer Vice-President leadership role. I genuinely believe I have a lot to offer Phi Theta Kappa and my fellow officers to try and gain more students’ involvement in their chapters, and I look forward to this next leadership journey. I am excited to have this opportunity to serve as a regional officer for PTK. I believe my experience and passion for helping others will help me to excel in helping us become a more robust region.

My name is Ra Be Ya and I am a student at Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica Campus.

My family is originated from Burma, but I was born in Thailand, and I came here as a refugee. I'm extremely proud of my heritage and because of the struggles that I saw my family face I have goals to accomplish what they did not have the opportunity to do. I will be graduating next spring with an Associates in Science and majoring in Adolescence Education to become a teacher and travel around the world to teach in impoverished countries. I'm passionate about education and creating an environment for students to be comfortable enough to be themselves.

Some of my personal hobbies include reading, tutoring students, and playing video games! I am always trying to find new books to read and I'm passionate about the benefits of literature. I like helping students with essays, projects, and understanding assignments. I'm extremely into e-sports and highly competitive in nature.

I'm excited to become a part of PTK and all the opportunities that come with it. I love the ideas and people I've already come across and I can't wait to dive into my responsibilities. As the Vice President of the Northern Region, I hope my experience and ideas help the region to flourish!

My name is Sabah Haji. I was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and moved to America with my family as a refugee. I came from an area with few prospects to the Mohawk Valley, which offers numerous growth opportunities. Thanks to my enrollment at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) and membership with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), I obtained my Human Services degree with honors in December 2021.

Additionally, I will be earning my Mechatronics Certification in May 2022. After that, I plan to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM-related field. My goal is to encourage more underrepresented minority students to pursue STEM degrees in higher education.

Attending community college was the smartest decision I made for my life, both financially to receive affordable education as a low-income student living below the poverty line and enhancing my personal life. As a first-generation college graduate, I am defying stereotypes and generational barriers, and I have accomplished more than anyone in my family's history.

My involvement in PTK is remarkable because I accepted membership in the Lambda Beta PTK Chapter in 2019 still in high school through the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program, among other talented and brilliant college students. Since then, my participation grew from being an active member to being elected for leadership roles such as the 2020-2021 Vice-President of Leadership and the current 2021-2022 Chapter President.

As a recent MVCC and P-TECH graduate, I am looking forward to continuing my servant leadership role through PTK as the 2022-2023 New York Regional Alumni Representative, serving as a bridge between the New York Region and the New York Region Alumni Association (NYRAA). Thank you all for supporting me in continuing my legacy with PTK!