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STEM Scholar and Comp Sci Major Earns Scholarship

‘Each of my Drew activities—whether it be the Baldwin Honor program, studying abroad in Korea or my job with University Technology—has added another unique stone in my path.’ – Ida Behreini C’19.

June 2018 – Drew University’s Ida Behreini earned the Nathan and Salle Rogoff Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which salutes the couple’s dedication to helping others, particularly the blind or visually impaired.

“The recognition I’ve received due to the scholarship is truly indicative of how far a bit of hard work can get you,” said Behreini C’19, a computer science major who’s partially blind and has a guide dog named Evie. “Each of my Drew activities—whether it be the Baldwin Honors program, studying abroad in Korea or my job with University Technology—has added another unique stone in my path.”

Behreini’s academic advisor, Associate Professor Emily Hill, described her as a self-starter.

“She is attentive and engaged, always speaking up to contribute ideas or ask questions,” said Hill, director of Drew’s Computer Science Program.

Similarly, the undergrad praised Hill for being an “invaluable resource, guide and voice of reason,” adding, “She has shown me a positive and powerful method for being a woman in the CS field. I truly appreciate her advice, and will always look up to her.”

Behreini, who’s from Bayonne, N.J., attended High Tech High School in North Bergen, where, as first-year student, she earned first place in the state and became a National Honor Winner in a contest known as Letters About Literature. The recognition was for a letter she wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.

This year, Behreini, who’s minoring in humanities, also became one of the Governor’s STEM Scholars—as selected by the Research & Development Council of New Jersey—and landed a summer internship at JPMorgan Chase. In particular, she’s interested in computer vision and object recognition and she plans to pursue a PhD in software engineering after Drew.

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