Meet “Mr. NYIT”

“The day I walked through the doors of the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway, I got the feeling that this was the place for me,” said Mohammad Tariq Jamal.

As an international student from Saudi Arabia, Jamal was unsure of what he would encounter and how to navigate his way through a new environment. With the help and guidance of his orientation leader and first-year mentor, he found his footing.

“My orientation leader and first-year mentor told me to put myself out there and attend as many events as I can so that I can socialize with domestic students and blend in,” he recalled. “Fast forward to the end of my first year, I had become an orientation leader myself, as well as a first-year mentor and student ambassador in the Admissions office.”

Since then, he continued his role as an orientation leader and first-year mentor and in the summer of 2017, he became the orientation coordinator and first-year mentor coordinator. He was also promoted to senior student ambassador. Before he arrived at NYIT, Jamal was looking forward to meeting as many people as he could. “I wanted to expand my circle of friends and make sure that people know who I am…Now the majority of the NYIT student body knows me by Mr. NYIT or Mr. Mayor.”

Jamal also finds time to get involved in a number of clubs including the South Asian Student Association, for which he is president, as well as the Finance, Judicial, and Marketing committees for the Student Government Association, and the event planning committee for Relay for Life.

But he doesn’t lose sight of his main focus: his education. When it came time to decide on a school and a major, the decision was an easy one. “I chose NYIT because of the location and the number of programs they offer,” he said. “And this major [interdisciplinary studies] had so much to offer that I instantly decided to go here. With my degree, I am able to do my master’s in engineering, computer science, or go to medical school.”

Jamal also makes a point of giving praise to the faculty. “I was able to take classes with some of the best professors and get advice [from them] in order to be more successful,” he said.

The multilingual student (he speaks five languages) is taking what he has gained at NYIT and is looking forward to a successful future. Plus, he is more than happy to share what he has learned with others. “My advice for high school students is study what you are most passionate about. At the same time, do not just focus on your studies. Put yourself out there and give yourself the opportunity to expand your horizons and allow yourself to grow,” he said. “I am thankful for what NYIT has provided me. I am proud to say that because of my first-year mentor and certain faculty and staff members, I am what I am today.”