Senior of The Week: Tasmiah Akter

By: Maya Cohen, Alia Bonanno

When Hoyt Hall gathered together last spring for their annual dorm tea, senior Tasmiah Akter was there to make the event special. Bringing her fellow proctors, the dorm, and her friends together, Akter helped supply a giant chess game to enhance their “Alice in Wonderland” themed tea.

“During that very difficult pandemic year, Tasmiah and the other proctors made that party extra special, and it felt a little bit like ‘normal’ times. It was magic,” English Instructor Erica Lazure said. 

In many ways beyond that, Akter has left a mark on the Exeter community with her selflessness and compassion.

Akter’s generous spirit is evident in her journey to becoming a proctor. “When I was a prep, I was so scared of being away from home and I felt pretty homesick, but the proctors made me feel so welcome,” Akter said. “I was like, ‘when I'm a senior, I wanna do the same.’ It is a big commitment but I think it's worth it [to go] around talking to people and making them feel safe and like [Hoyt] is a home away from home.”

Akter’s adviser, theater instructor, and Hoyt dorm faculty Lauren Josef emphasized the unique qualities that make Akter shine. “She has a very chill demeanor, and she’s very approachable. I think that’s one of the reasons she is a proctor in Hoyt. Younger students respect her, and know that she’s someone they can confide in.”

Akter’s caring nature extends beyond her role as a proctor. “Tasmiah is one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know. She connects with members of the community in a uniquely genuine manner,” French Instructor and Muslim Student Alliance advisor Amadou Talla said. “She is an all-around wonderful person…Our community is lucky to have such a well-rounded and amazing student leader.”

Lazure also appreciated Akter’s empathetic nature. “Tasmiah is incredibly thoughtful…She has a keen but subtle sense of humor and always appreciates a good pun. I admire her skills as an artist, writer, and thinker, and the dedication she puts into her various commitments, from academics to student listening, to proctoring, to the Community Conduct Committee, is inspiring,” Lazure said. “In her time at Hoyt Hall, she has become someone her fellow residents reach out to. Her ability to thoughtfully and fairly navigate difficult situations has served her well, and will continue to do so in the future.” 

Akter has also set an example for those around her. “It’s evident from her position that she is making important contributions to the success of residential life at Exeter. As a hijabi, I think she is a great role model to other Muslim students who are wearing, or are considering wearing the hijab,” Talla said.

Senior Shalom Headly celebrated Akter’s impact at Exeter. “As like one of the few Muslim students within the grade and one of the only hijabi girls in our class, she has not gone through Exeter without judgment or without people's prejudice being placed upon her. “But she keeps pushing and she continues to be such a great person who is so selfless and so caring all the time. I think her legacy would be that ability to continue to push on, even when things aren't going her way.” 

Akter has forged strong bonds and trust across campus with her genuine approach to life. “On an interpersonal level, I think everyone who knows her is like, I love Tasmiah,” senior Alana Reale said. “She's just a super person...She's a member of the CCC and I think that the fact that she got elected really shows that people would trust her to be dealing with sensitive matters that really affect people's lives.”

Senior Diwura Adesanya said, “I think most people say she's a very comforting presence because she's very friendly to everyone and knows a lot of people and always, always tries to be welcoming to everyone...She always tries to make herself available to help people around her,” 

Senior Lekha Masoudi remembered how Akter kept community spirit strong even through pandemic-induced changes. “[Tasmiah’s] dedication for the work we were doing [in ESSO] came through and inspired me to keep working even when things got tough with virtual meetings last year,” Masoudi said.

Akter’s kind presence is a staple in all of her extracurriculars, leadership roles, and relationships. “She’s very comfortable to be around. She's very creative, very interesting. You never know what you're going to end up doing,” Reale added. “I never know exactly what to expect. When I'm spending time with her and when I'm hanging out with her...I’m never bored.”

According to Akter, her friends at Exeter have gotten her through Exeter’s “ups and downs.” Akter has done the same. “She's really compassionate…and a great leader. She cares for people a lot. Sometimes it's to the extent of where she cares more about others than for herself, which is [sometimes] like, ‘Tasmiah, you're too selfless,’ [but] that's my favorite thing about her,” Headly said. 

 Senior Jack Ambrogi said, “As soon as you get to know her, I think Tasmiah is one of the best friends you can have. I feel like even though we haven't talked in a while, she's always there for me.”

Ambrogi also highlighted Akter’s lasting impact. “There's a lot of people that have been able to grow as a result of Tasmiah's support. Personally, I think I'm one of those people. I think the conversations that I've had with her have helped me to grow and figure things out about myself.”

Akter is a valued friend to many at Exeter, which shows through her interactions with her peers, “[I remember one day] we just drew random stuff, like on some pieces of paper and it was really fun and really relaxing. It was a hot day so physically I wasn't relaxed, but it was nice to [just] hang out with my friend and just do whatever,” Headly said.

Masoudi said, “She’s been one of my closest friends since and I’m so lucky to get to live with her! I would describe her as a very down-to-earth person with a crazy funny sense of humor. My favorite memories of Tasmiah are always lying on the floor of her room eating snacks and just talking about life and Exeter and being South Asian girls.”

Besides bringing people together, Akter also has a knack for building, embroidering, and fixing. “I’ve always been a crafty kind of person. I like making things and building things. When I go home… I just find random things around the house to fix,” Akter said.

In her free time, Akter enjoys being with her friends whether they are listening to music, skating, or watching movies. “My friends and I will watch a movie and then we'll Harkness it out and I feel like I don't know if I would get to do that anywhere else,” she said. 

Harkness, in fact, has been an integral part of Akter’s Exeter experience, providing her with “euphoric” moments. “You're learning in class [and] you're having multiple light bulb moments at a time,” Akter said. “You’re going to club meetings and it’s [so] exciting.”

“I think I want to study neuroscience in college, but I'm really apprehensive because it's kind of a crazy field, but it’s my interest right now and what I'm putting all of my energy into right now,” Akter said. Her interest in neuroscience started in 4th grade, when she stumbled upon a website for Science Fair project ideas and ended up choosing Memory Mnemonics as a topic. She tested her friends and family members and ever since, she has had a special affinity for the topic. 

Humor is another facet of Akter’s presence on campus. “We'd gone to this pumpkin farm and we all got pumpkins…and I had a really pretty pumpkin and mine was the only one that lasted that long,” Adesanya recalled. “And we were hanging out in my room one day and she decided to throw it out a window to see how it fell. But then afterwards she picked it back up and she put it back together so I wouldn't be sad.”

Ambrogi said, “What I most enjoy about Tasmiah is her sense of humor and her ability to just goof-off in settings where that's maybe the best thing that somebody needs, while also being a really great leader.”

Lazure also appreciates the legacy of humor Akter leaves behind. “I feel confident that Tasmiah is going to leave the pun tradition legacy in Hoyt in good hands when she graduates.”

Talla recalled, “My favorite memory of Tasmiah is when she shared with me that her roommate who was in my French class told her I like hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. So, at the end of one of her emails to me, Tasmiah shared this with me in a post-scriptum, and she added: ‘I am sending good vibes and hoping you have many boiled eggs this year!’ This simple sentence brought a smile to my face and really made my day.”

In all her capacities, Akter has shaped many people’s time at Exeter for the better. “I feel like she’s such an icon on campus and when she leaves there’ll definitely be an empty Tasmiah-shaped space at Exeter,” Masoudi said.

After four years here, Akter urges Exonians to be active in their pursuits, but recognize the humanity underneath the determination and intelligence we demonstrate as students. “Don't take yourself too seriously. It's important to be on top of your stuff and it's important to have goals and plans, but also remember at the end of the day, you are not a machine, you are a human being.”