Akter ’15 Wins Fulbright

A first-generation college student, Shabhia Akter ’15 never expected to graduate from a school like Lafayette. With the help of the Posse Scholars program and her mentors—Suzanne Westfall, professor of English and director of the arts, and J. Christian Tatu, coordinator of the College Writing Program—she was transformed from an anxious first-year student into a woman “ready to take the world by storm.”

She says her mentors encouraged her to work hard, take risks, and expand her comfort zone. “Without them, I don’t know if I would be as successful as I am today.”

An English and psychology graduate, Akter won a Fulbright award to teach English in Bangladesh. Her next step will be law school.

A Robert Beane ’58 Intern Scholar, Akter gained valuable experience as an intern with the American Museum of Natural History’s museum education and employment program and
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.