MC Alumna Maryam Iftikhar ’20 Regained Her Passion for Social Justice Through the Renaissance Scholars Program

MC Alumna Maryam Iftikhar ’20 has an unconventional story about how she ended up at Montgomery College (MC). After attending Rosa Parks Middle School in Olney, Md., she chose to pursue homeschooling with the intention of graduating early and enrolling at a top-ranked university. Unfortunately, as she began high school, her father became seriously ill, and those plans came to a sudden halt. As the eldest child, she took on the responsibility of supporting her family both financially and domestically.

Iftikhar worked a full-time job while teaching herself, but her passion for higher education faded. After she completed high school, her family persuaded her to pursue higher education. She chose MC for its affordable tuition and straightforward application requirements—a lifeline for someone who lacked the traditional college application experience and resources.

Iftikhar coasted through her first semester-and-a half while continuing to work a full-time job and provide for her family, unsure of her place at MC. However, things began to change when two English professors she had, Chip Gladson and Michelle Prendergast, saw potential in her passion for learning, particularly writing. They referred her to Renaissance Scholars, a selective honors program offered in the evenings at the Germantown Campus and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.

Unlike Montgomery Scholars, which serves students coming straight from high school, Renaissance Scholars is for students who are past high school and currently taking classes at MC. The program promotes an academic experience that fosters personal growth, critical thinking, multicultural and interdisciplinary perspectives, and a strong sense of identity. For Iftikhar, it represented an opportunity to find a supportive community that could help her reach her full potential.

“Renaissance Scholars helps students like Maryam fulfill their intellectual and academic potential,” Professor Joan Naake, director of the Germantown Renaissance Scholars Honors Program, said. “Many students who come to community college, especially in an honors program, feel like imposters. But they’re not imposters—these are brilliant, hardworking students, and we give them the opportunity to fulfill those talents.”

Iftikhar’s writing and research skills significantly improved throughout her time in the program. She focused on human rights, oppression, and social justice; topics deeply personal to her as a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan. Furthermore, the program gave her access to extracurricular and professional opportunities, leading her to The Karel Fellowship—a competitive program for first-generation and underrepresented students invested in public interest communications. She was also invited to speak at the 2020 Frank Gatheringnew window, where she addressed more than 300 communications professionals on the power of storytelling in strategic campaigns.

“The Karel Fellowship was a transformative experience for me, and I wouldn’t have learned about it if it weren't for Renaissance Scholars,” Iftikhar said. “Renaissance Scholars helped me realize that it is ok for me to start dreaming big again, and that I was more than capable of succeeding in any job I wanted to. This program is what my parents envisioned me doing with my education when they immigrated to the U.S.”

Iftikhar spoke about the importance of empathy and story-driven communications efforts at the Frank Gathering, February 2020.

 

After graduating from MC in 2020, Iftikhar transferred to Hood College, where she majored in global studies and minored in nonprofit and civic engagement. At the end of her junior year, she received the Davis Project for Peace Grant, a $10,000 award. She used that funding to implement her own project, which focused on ways to provide rapid-response aid to migrants and undocumented families facing critical resource gaps. By her senior year, she was one of a handful of students invited to work on a year-long senior thesis project, and she wrote a lengthy research paper on mass atrocity prevention and the efficiency of the United Nations’ Genocide Convention.

Iftikhar recently launched a storytelling initiative called Meeting at the Margins, where she strives to create a platform for diverse perspectives and meaningful dialogue. She also works as the media and event specialist at Freedom House, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., that works to support and defend democracy around the world. Previously, she worked with the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy and partnered with the U.S. Institute of Peace to travel to Oman and work with women of faith peace builders in the Middle East. She continues to strive for diplomacy and peace through her own projects and others that she collaborates with.

Iftikhar will attend Binghamton University in New York this fall, where she will pursue a master of science degree in the Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention program.

“I’m excited about the path ahead,” Iftikhar said, “But I will always carry MC with me as the place where I learned how to dream again.”

 

Iftikhar’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact that programs like Renaissance Scholars can have on students. It offered her a strong sense of community, belonging, and understanding, which helped her rewrite her story and realize her full potential. Anyone interested in learning more about her work can connect with her on LinkedInnew window or visit her websitenew window.