Finding a community that feels like family

“The community. It feels like a family.”

That’s what senior Arham Hashmi ’23 will miss most about their time at Skidmore. Arham, who calls Pakistan home, majored in psychology and minored in English with a focus on creative writing. During their four years at Skidmore, they served as head peer health educator (PHE), held leadership positions in several student clubs, and even directed a play.

Arham began their college career in Skidmore's First-Year Experience in London program. When they arrived in Saratoga Springs, they were unsure what community they would be part of. An advisor suggested they become a peer health educator.

“I ended up sticking with it for a number of years because serving as a PHE was just this perfect mix of exploring my interests in mental health and organizing things — and being there for the community.”

Peer health educators, who must complete a detailed training course, help promote healthy choices and lifestyles on health-related topics, including mental health, bystander intervention, sexual health, nutrition and fitness, and relationships.

In addition to working at the Student Wellness Center, where students can talk with peer counselors, as head peer educator Arham served as a mentor for PHE training classes and helped oversee the PHE program.

“My biggest takeaway as a peer health educator is just to be passionate and vocal about a topic, and you'll get the space to explore it. There will be other people passionate about it, too.”

Arham manifested this lesson in several leadership positions at Skidmore. After the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arham played an important role in reviving the Muslim Student Association. Arham and a fellow student also worked with Dining Services, President Marc Conner, and the Dean of Students’ Office to develop ways for halal meat to be served properly in the dining hall — helping Muslim students keep with Islamic dietary guidelines.

Arham also served as president of two student clubs: the International Student Union (ISU) and Hayat, the College’s South Asian club.

“These two clubs were my first families at Skidmore and make me feel at home. I found a lot of power and energy doing work for these communities which I identify with,” Arham said. Under their leadership, Hayat won the Student Government Association’s Club of the Year Award, and ISU was shortlisted for the same award the following year.”

Arham’s favorite parts of being involved with Hayat were opportunities to enjoy the food they missed from home and to embrace vibrant South Asian wardrobe at club events. The ISU offers international students funded opportunities to visit different cities, and they have traveled to Boston and Washington, D.C., with other club members. Another event Arham enjoyed is the Global Queer Film Festival, which got started in the 2022-23 academic year.

“We dug into the research and ended up choosing films from around the world that told queer stories, and we screened them over one weekend. I think that's going to become an annual event!”

Arham also dabbled in theater at Skidmore. In one class, students read a South Asian play centered on queer characters. Assistant Professor of Theater Dennis Schebetta encouraged them to turn the scene into a full production. Arham agreed despite their lack of significant theater experience, and the play was staged in spring 2022.

“It was just so rewarding to see a story about my experiences on stage, as Skidmore community members showed up to listen to it and to hear it.”

So, what does Arham think about their Skidmore years?

“I’ve become a lot more vocal, a lot more aware of my needs, and a lot more confident in asking for them to be met. I’m also a lot more comfortable with my origins and my background. I'm the most South Asian I’ve ever felt, and some of that has been because of the work and the activism I’ve been involved in.”

Now that they’re graduating, Arham plans on a trip home to Pakistan before returning to the United States for a temporary position as a Cognitive Psychology teaching assistant with Johns Hopkins University followed by a longer role as a justice-involved peer specialist in New York City. They also hope to return to their goals of pursuing further education in screenwriting, directing, and mental health counseling.