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Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, and I remember exactly how that felt. For me, Hofstra stood out because of one word: opportunity.

When I was deciding where to commit, I called two schools to ask about additional scholarships. One told me I had already received its highest award, but Hofstra went the extra mile. Hofstra increased my scholarship and showed me that there would be even more opportunities once I arrived. That moment told me everything I needed to know about how invested this community is in its ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.

At the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, I found professors who truly care and resources that opened real doors. Through the Visa Black Scholars program, I interned twice with Visa [a global payments technology company] and will join their rotational program full time after graduation. Hofstra gave me the support and confidence to step into those opportunities.

Just as important are the friendships and connections that made this campus feel like home. If you want a university that sees your potential and invests in it, Hofstra is that place

Aydan’s professional trajectory has been equally impressive. As a member of the second cohort of the Visa Black Scholars program under Visa Inc., she completed two internships with the global payments technology leader. In her first role as an inclusivity and diversity intern, she examined how employee resource groups function within the Visa ecosystem. In her second, she joined the consulting and analytics team, contributing to client deliverables and developing thought leadership focused on customer attrition and churn rates. After graduation, she will begin Visa’s competitive rotational program full time.

Central to Aydan’s journey have been faculty mentors who shaped both her professional and personal growth. She credits Dr. Lutisha Vickerie and Dr. Shu Yang in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship as transformative role models who guided her passion for entrepreneurship and research, particularly as she navigated the business world as a woman of color.

Yet Aydan’s Hofstra experience is not defined by resume highlights alone. It is also marked by late-night conversations, dorm room movie nights, and friendships that turned a campus into a second home. Those relationships, she says, are what she will miss most after graduation.