JONSSON SCHOOL STUDENT ELECTED HOMECOMING KING

Homecoming at The University of Texas at Dallas is designed to celebrate students and their unique experiences at a university with an internationally ranked chess team, nationally ranked esports team and no football team. In February 2022, University students elected Natasha Rahman (she/they), a mechanical engineering senior in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, to reign. Rahman, the first queer woman elected Homecoming King, shares their experiences as a Comet.

You were elected the University’s Homecoming King in 2022. Congratulations! How did you feel to be part of the Homecoming court?

It felt euphoric to be named Homecoming King and shows that UT Dallas is a safe space. It was really an accumulation of so many things, especially since this happened during my senior year. I had a rocky start to college, then once I began to find my core groups on campus, we went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Doing everything remotely showed that so many activities on campus are designed to build you up. Even though it was a challenge, I saw a lot of personal growth during the pandemic.

Temoc, the UT Dallas mascot, (bottom row) with 2022 Homecoming Court members and University staff members (left to right) Tineil Lewis-Moore, assistant director of student organizations, Natasha Rahman, Sarah Romanko, Paolaenid Rodney-Hernandez, Brandon Borick, Troy Murray and Alexis Yi, student program coordinator.

What activities did you participate in as Homecoming King?

We did so many things! We had a door-decorating competition, we decorated golf carts and we got everyone to submit their videos. We worked hard to promote the Homecoming events. After we had been remote for so many months and then hosted an in-person Homecoming in the spring, we really wanted to show that spirit and pride. With the door-decorating and individual campaigns, I was able to express my defining personality traits and activities in college.

I understand you are active in several student organizations including the University chapters of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Engineering World Health, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Chi Alpha Iota Diaternity. Can you tell me more about your involvement?

Chi Alpha Iota provides a home for queer Greek life on campus. I have served as the president, and it’s one area where I don’t have to just focus on academics. We hosted a drag show last fall, and this spring, we hosted ReProm, which is for LGBTQ students who didn’t get the prom experience in high school. SWE has helped me a lot with professionalism. I am also a secretary for Engineering World Health, which is a smaller organization. I am able to take some of what I have learned from SWE, which is a very large and successful organization on campus, and bring some of those leadership insights to help this organization to grow. ASME is also helping to prepare me more academically and professionally.

Chi Alpha Iota is a gender-neutral Greek organization at UT Dallas. I understand SWE also promotes inclusion of LGBTQ students. How can student organizations promote inclusivity and safe spaces for all students?

The biggest thing I can say is that we cannot force change or inclusion to happen. We shouldn’t just tell people what to do or police pronoun usage. Allyship should be more like opening up. Like any good teacher or leader will say, ‘We encourage you to take this opportunity.’ Sigma Lambda Gamma is a Greek sorority that focuses on advocacy, and the UT Dallas chapter has been very interested in promoting allyship. We need to give all of our organizations room to be an ally.

Mentorship is a critical part of leadership. How have you served as a mentor and advisor to students?

My mentorship style has focused on shaping up and coming leaders. College life is transitory, and students have a lot of potential. I lead by teaching incoming freshmen as an openly queer person of color, and parents seem to warm up to me. Through Road Warriors, which is for commuter students, there is more one-on-one interaction. Now, as a resident advisor, I try to help students feel connected to the UT Dallas community. One of my main roles now is connecting students to the resources already available on campus, whether it’s therapy or the Student Success Center. You don’t have to handle everything alone.

You described your own freshman year as rocky. Can you tell me more about that?

Many students struggle with the transition to college. I wasn’t used to the study skills I needed to have in order to be successful in engineering. Your GPA can be a really frustrating metric — it’s a huge roadblock when you need to get an internship. A friend of mine recommended the Student Success Center, and it was so helpful. Also, when we went remote, the classes became substantially more accessible. I think that is one of the side benefits of remote learning, because I had time to think through my learning strategies.

I understand you are majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in marketing. How have your experiences at UT Dallas prepared you for your future career?

I switched majors to mechanical engineering, and it was miraculous how much more I enjoyed attending class. I found my niche faster. I’ve found that it’s one of the most creative engineering degree plans, which I didn’t think was the case initially. I am looking at careers in product management or product design. When I used CAD during my internship at Siemens Digital Industries Software last summer, that took away the grade pressure. I was doing something purely to learn, so I think that revolutionized my thought process about my future career and has helped me to find my passion in mechanical engineering. This summer, I had an internship at General Motors. I want to look at different company dynamics. I have learned how to utilize my network, so it’s looking like getting a job after graduation will be the least of my worries.

Rahman at a diaternity drag show. They say that a sense of individuality unites Comets.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen about getting the most out of their time at the Jonsson School?

I think students should attend career panels. Hearing professionals talk about their jobs is extremely beneficial. I didn’t recognize the creativity involved in engineering until I heard about what people do day to day beyond the academic structure of college. Keep your options open, and don’t be afraid to reach out to people on LinkedIn.

Whatever your niche is, the personal growth journey in college is massive. It’s not all about the books. Seniors may understand, but I think freshmen don’t just yet. Chi Alpha Iota is a passion for me. There’s a lot of learning to do in college — you learn what defines you as a person.

What does it mean to be a Comet? What does school spirit at UT Dallas look like?

The biggest factor that unites Comets is our sense of individuality. We have so much diversity on campus that there’s a home for everyone. There are a million ways to be a Comet. Each student who walks onto campus finds their niche organization, program or community, and it becomes their family and their support system. With the variety of activities on campus, we make campus feel like a home for everyone. School spirit on campus is also a product of the diversity that exists here at UTD. It’s taking pride in everyone around us and celebrating the wins in the communities we have created. School spirit is investing in everyone around us to help build the confidence of all Comets.

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