Shaheryar Asghar '28, Economics and Psychology

"Getting involved in all of these different experiences not only gives me a chance to meet new people, but also to grow as a person and encounter new perspectives."

When researching colleges, Shaheryar Asghar '28, a double-major in psychology and economics from Lahore, Pakistan, knew how important it was to find a home away from home. "When you’re an international student, it's a major priority to find a community where you feel like you belong," he says. "Bucknell is a place that made me feel supported and comforted before I even applied."

Once Asghar arrived on campus, he didn't waste any time in building the kind of education — and community — that he envisioned. "One of the main reasons I chose to major in psychology was because I was involved with an organization that provided free mental health counseling back home," he says. His psychology classes gave him the opportunity to better understand the science behind one of his greatest passions while also preparing him for a potential career in mental health advocacy.

Learning in the classroom was only the beginning. It was hands-on research opportunities that expanded his conception of what a career in a health-related field could look like. "I was working with Professor Ankita Kumar, markets, innovation & design, over the summer on research about the marketization of health care," says Asghar. "I think that really got me interested in the economic angle of what I was studying."

For Asghar, majoring in economics gave him a foundational understanding of how the world works. It also equipped him with the skills to pursue research that bolstered his psychology coursework. "My mentor was already focused on developed countries, so for my research, I traveled back home over the summer to conduct research into health care markets in developing nations," he says. That experience allowed him to see firsthand how textbook concepts of supply and demand actually shaped burgeoning healthcare enterprises on the ground.

However, college isn't just about preparing for a career. What Asghar appreciates about a liberal arts education is the ability to experiment across disciplines. "Many of the things I've done across campus have been in completely different dimensions from what I'm studying," says Asghar.

In fact, his involvement spans nearly every corner of campus — academic, entrepreneurial, sustainability-focused and career development — demonstrating an ability to balance rigorous coursework with meaningful extracurricular impact. 

He has served as a career community intern for the Center for Career Advancement (CCA) and a student ambassador for both the Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment (BCSE). 

In his work with the BCSE, Asghar has deepened his knowledge of the role town-gown relationships play in sustainability efforts, and his CCA internship has given him the chance to help other students discover their own passions. "Getting involved in all of these different experiences not only gives me a chance to meet new people, but also to grow as a person and encounter new perspectives,"  he says. 

Asghar has also served as a JoAnn Patrick-Ezzell '75 & Andrew Ezzell Data Science Student Fellow through the Dominguez Center for Data Science, an economics teaching assistant, and a co-chair for Bucknell's annual BizPitch competition. Though it is perhaps his role as president of Bucknell Global Student Council that has allowed him to shape the kind of community that drew him to campus in the first place.

"I get to help create a space that feels like home," he says. "A place where cultures are celebrated and meaningful connections are built across the entire school."