Hassan gained acceptance to Dartmouth College at the age of 16, and graduated from South Cobb High School as the Valedictorian. While at Dartmouth, Hassan studied Sociology and was active in various clubs and organizations, such the Rockefeller Center, the Collis student center and the first generation student mentoring program. In his final year at Dartmouth, Hassan was named a Pickering Fellow, a Foreign Service pathway fellowship awarded to ten undergraduate students nationally. He then went on to gain admission into the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Hassan’s favorite part of SIPA was traveling to Kampala, Uganda as part of a capstone project, where he helped design an M&E Framework for an Entrepreneurship Development Initiative for Out-of-School Youth in Uganda. Additionally, Hassan is on the Executive Board of the SIPA Pan-African Network at Columbia.

Hassan has made a personal commitment to serving his community, and views his work as a driving force in his life. Pursuing a career in diplomacy, Hassan commissions as an Economic Officer in the US foreign service this summer, which will allow him to combine his interests in economics and the social sciences. These last two summers, Hassan began his foreign service journey by interning at the Bureau of Counterterrorism in D.C. and the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic.

During his off time, Hassan loves running and values it for the focus, exercise, and agility training it offers. This past fall, Hassan completed his first marathon in Brooklyn. He has improved his personal records significantly since he began running, and hopes to run an ultra marathon in the near future.

Hassan says, “I always wake up in the morning thinking about my future and the impact I want to have on my family and community. I am sure I am not the only one who shares this sentiment. That is what keeps me on track and ready to do work everyday. I do not want myself or anyone else to fail because of our circumstances; I want people to flourish because of them.” His service not only enriched the lives he has touched, but also helped him develop as a person. He hopes his perseverance sets an example for struggling students in his city who often do not have prominent role models.