Two community college students are achieving their dreams of higher education with a prestigious leadership program.
Sabreen Qaisar and Tabia Tarannum are two first-generation college students who have been accepted to Kaplan Educational Foundation’s Kaplan Leadership Program (KLP). They are part of a cohort of 11 community college students across the five boroughs who were accepted into the 2024-2025 academic year program.
KLP helps high-achieving, low-income community college students complete their associate’s degree, successfully transfer, and earn a four-year bachelor’s degree at the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities.
Qaisar, 21, is a Queensborough Community College student, and Tarannum, 19, is a LaGuardia Community College student who are both interested in careers in STEM.
“When I heard I was accepted, I had to read the email twice; I think Kaplan gives me the belief that I can be more than I think,” Qaisar said. Qaisar, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 2021, has dreams of becoming a forensic psychologist and supporting law enforcement through that field.
Qaisar said that she wants to be a forensic psychologist due to her interest in helping people who are dealing with mental illness. “Going to college and interacting with them, they’re on the buses… they have different mindsets, and they’re still functioning in this world,” she said.
Qaisar said that she also wants to destigmatize the notion that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes. “I really want to do research on it and help people,” she said. “I think undocumented people and people in jails are being set aside; they are not represented so much, and they need help.”
Tarannum’s dreams of higher education lie in medicine. A biology major, she wants to pursue a dual degree program that will allow her to study medicine and medical research. “I want to get into both careers and do both. It’s hard, but I want to give it a shot,” she said.
She said she was drawn to medicine, specifically anesthesiology and medical research, because of her parents’ nonprofit clinic, the Samina Bari Foundation, in her home country of Bangladesh.
“I have seen many people struggling financially; they can’t afford to see doctors… growing up, I have seen how my family’s foundation has helped people, so I get it from my family that we need to help people who are struggling,” she said. Her interest in research came from her enrollment in LaGuardia’s Q-Stem research program. “When I first learned about research, how researchers do different research and the whole process, I thought, wow, this is so interesting,” she said.
Tarannum said she is looking at different schools so far, but she is strongly considering Stanford University for its MD/PhD program. By enrolling in that program, Tarannum can work with patients and do research simultaneously. “I feel I can be a doctor but at the same time a researcher, and it’s something I can really express my passion for, learning the unknown and helping people at the same time,” Tarannum said.
Tarannum said that she has already learned many valuable skills through the KLP workshops.
“They gave us leadership training… it’s not just about how we become a good leader within the college; it’s how we become a better person within our own personal life and workplace,” Tarannum said. She added that she is thankful that Kaplan has provided her with time management, financial literacy workshops, and tours of participating universities.
Both Qaisar and Tarannum said they and their families were filled with pride when they were accepted into KLP.
“I did all the interviews, and suddenly I received the call… and I’m like wow, I literally screamed like I am a Kaplan Scholar now; it was so exciting,” Tarannum said. “It was such an amazing thing … now I know they’re going to help me make my dream come true.”
They explained that despite the many struggles they face as first-generation college students and recent immigrants, they were able to achieve their dreams with the program.
“Being first generation, Kaplan is the biggest achievement for me and my family. We could never think it was something I could have, Qaisar said. “It’s very important, but it’s not easy at all.”
“I moved to this country in 2023. My parents didn’t even finish high school, and they chose to move to this county with me and my sibling because they want us to achieve our dreams, get a good education, and have a better life than them,” Tarannum said. “It’s not easy at all; it’s hard. there’s nobody who can help us. We’re adapting to a new environment, culture, people, education system, language; everything is a separate struggle,” Tarannum said.
Tarannum said that her family is proud that the sacrifices they made have been worth it for her. “I’m doing well, I’m happy. This is what they wanted, and they’re happy and proud at the same time.”
Qaisar and Tarannum will transfer to the colleges of their choice in Aug 2025. So far, Qaisar, Tarannum, and other students accepted into the program meet every Friday to review what colleges and universities would be the right fit for them. They receive support from college essay advisors, leadership training, financial aid training, and other support services before their applications. The scholars then put in their applications and find out where they will be attending by the spring.
Founded in 2006, KEF’s Kaplan Leadership Scholars have been accepted to the country’s most competitive schools, including Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Brown, Amherst, Cornell, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and many others. According to data from the Aspen Institute, 92% of Kaplan Leadership Scholars earn a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 16 % of community college students who earn bachelor’s degrees.
Earlier this year, KEF received a three-year grant from the Ichigo Foundation to fund a new Community College Bridge Program to extend its mission to a younger demographic. The Bridge Program will help high school students prepare earlier for their community college experience while positioning them for successful transfer to and graduation from a four-year institution.
