What do bidets and the leadership award have in common? Student leadership, of course!
Most college freshmen spend their first semester sampling student clubs, adjusting how they study to be successful in rigorous university classes, and learning they need to be better at managing their time. Not Mohammed Rakin Chowdhury (who goes by Rakin). As a standout student in Bangladesh with a college entrance test score that would allow him to attend the top universities in his country, he instead set his eyes even higher on pursuing a computer science degree from a top-ranked engineering college in the U.S.
Rakin didn’t just come for the engineering classes, though. He came ready to integrate, take on leadership roles and make a difference. So shortly after arriving on campus last fall as an Accelerate-U Delaware Program student taking university classes run by the ELI, he joined UD’s Student Government Association to represent international students on campus, specifically Muslim students. He quickly noticed that the bathrooms on campus lacked bidets for proper washing required of observant Muslims. The Quran explains that “cleanliness is half of faith,” and washing with water after toileting is an important practice. Within his first month on campus, he began a year-long challenge to convince university stakeholders to invest in installing bidets across campus. No small task!
After conducting a student survey and then preparing and delivering presentations to the Faculty Senate, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the university’s Advisory Board, university decision makers approved his request and may invest thousands this coming year to add bidets across campus. Upgraded bathrooms are not all Mohammed Rakin earned, though. For his leadership efforts and success, he was awarded Most Outstanding Leader of the Year 2023-24 by the Student Government.
We are proud to be part of a university that listens and values international students. Congratulations, Rakin! We look forward to seeing what else you achieve at UD.
Article by Julie Lopez
August 9, 2024