Profile-Najib Daoud '23

COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR FROM SYRACUSE, NY

I caught up with Najib as he was preparing for his study abroad trip this past summer, something he had been looking forward to for a long time. “Since my first year I knew that I wanted to travel and get a more global perspective. [The program that stood out to me] was the data science and data analysis study abroad program in Pavia, Italy,” Najib said. As a computer science (CS) major in the School of Engineering, this summer program was right up his alley. “With the engineering track, [studying abroad] can be difficult to plan, but since this program is during the summer, it was very in line with my schedule.”

Even with that busy schedule, Najib has found ways to stay active and involved in Tufts through his residence hall and student organizations. “I lived in Metcalf Hall [my first year], which is near the center of campus. It’s kind of like an H shape and it’s split into bubbles, which led to a really strong relationship with my bubble-mates. Every time I would come back, if I wanted to eat, hang out, talk through something, there would always be someone who was up. To this day we all keep in touch, even though we’re living in different places.” Community came from beyond his residence hall, too. “There was a pre-orientation event where a dance group called the BlackOut Step Team performed. And I just remember being so blown away. I tried out and made the team, which ended up being one of my closest communities my first year.”

Community service also plays a major role in Najib’s time at Tufts. Whether on-campus or in the Medford/Somerville area, giving back is core to his college experience. One of the first ways he did so was through the National Society of Black Engineers, or NSBE. “I was president of my high school chapter, and I remember when applying to Tufts, I wanted to see if it had a NSBE chapter as well, which Tufts does. I was very excited by that because NSBE has had one of the largest impacts on me as far as my interest in engineering and supporting me career-wise. Last year I was vice president, and this year I served as president of the chapter.” Even with those responsibilities, Najib found more ways to be involved. “Another big thing that I do is my involvement with my fraternity, the Rho Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. And I would honestly say that joining is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made during my time here at Tufts. It’s centered around service and uplifting the community which are some of the values that are strongest for me.”

Najib is just as driven in the classroom as he is outside of it, which is one of the reasons he was drawn to Tufts’ engineering program. “The academic track was rigorous, prestigious, and it was in line with what I was looking for. I was always the kid that would tear open gadgets and break them apart, tinkering around with different electronics. When it came to choosing between the School of Engineering versus [the School of] Arts and Sciences, I was most interested in honing my technical background and those surrounding skills.” With his plans to work in the tech startup world of Boston, it was the perfect fit. “When I came to Tufts, I got a better understanding of the foundation of computer science that also tied in with electronics, with physics, all those different things. I think the breadth of knowledge I’ve gotten from the engineering track helped me get a better understanding of how everything connects in engineering, which is pretty fascinating. It’s a good understanding to have as you’re going into industry. Last semester I heard that there’s this program called Jumbo Ventures. You sign up and, if you’re accepted to the cohort, they essentially help you start a business. They have weekly meetings where they bring in different guest speakers like CEOs and entrepreneurs. They provide resources and, at the end of it, you’re able to compete to win a cash prize. That was something that I learned about, and I was like, wow, this is exactly the opportunity I was looking for. Now I actually have a fully fleshed out business model, and I’m working on creating the prototype application. This is just one of the opportunities at Tufts that was so in line with my interests and something I was thankfully able to extract a lot out of.”

As for plans for senior year, Najib has one goal: “making the most out of every single experience and just being present.” Sounds like the perfect send-off to an incredible and impactful undergraduate experience.