“I’m Jordanian, and our culture is very hospitable even if people don’t know you, they want to help you.” For Bushra Khazaleh ’26, who grew up in Al Mafraq, Jordan, that generosity has always been part of who she is. “Helping others has always felt natural to me” she said. Today, that same generosity shapes how she approaches her college, leadership roles, and community at the iSchool.
During high school, Khazaleh was actively involved in service and leadership-focused initiatives. Khazaleh served as a facilitator with peacebuilding nonprofit Seeds of Peace, as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and a participant in community-wide dialogue through Interfaith Works of Central New York.
When Khazaleh first arrived at Syracuse University, she planned to channel that commitment to helping others into a career as a physician assistant—but she quickly realized pre-PA was not the right fit. At the suggestion of a friend, she enrolled in IST 195, Information Technologies, an introductory iSchool course. “I immediately fell in love with it and thought, ‘oh my gosh, this is what I want,’” Khazaleh said. She soon declared a major in Information Management and Technology, with concentrations in Web Design & Management and Cybersecurity. Since joining the iSchool, Khazaleh has earned a place on the Dean’s List consecutively, highlighting her dedication and academic excellence.
Khazaleh feels a strong connection to the iSchool—perhaps because it reminds her of home. “It’s a community, everyone wants to help each other and wants the best for each other,” she said. “Between students, I don’t feel competition. It’s more like, ‘how can I help you do well on your next exam?’”
Khazaleh has taken on a range of roles that allow her to support and strengthen the community she values. She serves as a peer advisor and admissions ambassador, mentored students with disabilities through the InclusiveU program, and contributed to the iSchool’s marketing efforts by creating social media content. Khazaleh also serves as a teaching assistant for the senior capstone course IST 466 and recently started working as an undergraduate admissions assistant.
Through her involvement with the NEXIS Student Technology Lab, she has channeled her collaborative spirit into technical leadership. Khazaleh began as an undergraduate researcher on the virtual reality team before working her way up to serving as head of programming. In that position, she coordinates projects, communicates progress to lab leadership, and ensures teams stay on track.
That preparation paid off through an internship with Equitable, a financial services and insurance company with an office in Syracuse, an opportunity Khazaleh credits in part to the iSchool’s career services team. As an IT intern, she led a team project as the project manager for the IT interns where she managed deadlines, and took on independent technical work, experiences that helped her recognize skills she had not previously seen in herself. “It was more than what I expected, in a good way,” she said. After graduating in May, Khazaleh will return to Equitable as an Information Technology Associate.
Amid the many commitments, Khazaleh relies on her faith to stay grounded. “I always find peace through prayer,” she said. “It really helps me get through life.” It is a steadiness she hopes to continue to offer others through her work, rooted in the culture and values that first shaped her.