Yumna Ahmed, Doctor of Pharmacy
The pharmacy field has long called to Yumna Ahmed. She attended Jefferson undergrad for health sciences, knowing where her graduate studies would take her.
“Pharmacy is innovative,” Ahmed says, “and I love to learn.”
Having friends from undergrad provided a sense of familiarity, especially through a shared study group. Other College of Pharmacy highlights include a community project presenting health info to seventh graders and several rotations, including ones with Jefferson Health Plans and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. At the latter, she gained insight into the workflow of a large pharmacy team.
“Each person has a certain role to ensure patients receive their medications,” she says.
With graduation here, Ahmed plans to focus on the NAPLEX and continue her pharmacy journey.
Celebrating the Jefferson Class of 2026
Congrats to the members of the Class of 2026, including (clockwise from top left) Nikki Dedes, Abby Jackson, Paris Schell, Jasmin Bickham, Emily Luckenbach, Zariah Brown and Kai Mangahas.
They began their time at Jefferson with distinct ambitions and career paths, but they’ll soon be linked by a shared milestone as Class of 2026 graduates. In the lead-up to Commencement, Thomas Jefferson University News caught up with a dozen students from across programs to reflect on their favorite memories, future plans and more.
Jasmin Bickham, BS in Marketing
A first-generation college student, Jasmin Bickham knows she will well up with emotion as she crosses the Commencement stage. “This moment means a lot,” she says. “My whole family is so proud of me.”
Bickham transferred to Jefferson after earning her associate degree at a community college. Marketing’s blend of analytical and creative thinking plays to her strengths.
While at Jefferson, she interned at Subaru for a year on its digital platforms team—a connection she made at a University Career Fair. Bickham also founded Jefferson’s Women in Business Leadership Program, which hosts webinars with alumni and pairs students with mentors in the field.
“The two years flew by,” she says. “I can’t believe it’s graduation.”
Zariah Brown, MS in Engineering With Textile Engineering Concentration
After finishing her undergrad degree in materials science and engineering, Zariah Brown didn’t plan to go back to school. She worked in industry for a couple of years. Still, after some real-world experience, she knew she needed additional textile education for her next career step: becoming a product engineer at an athletic footwear and apparel company.
“I’ve always been an athlete—basketball, volleyball, track, soccer,” Brown says. “Merging my two passions is a dream. I want to make a shoe with the best tech to help athletes to jump higher, run faster or create something that wicks away sweat more effectively.”
Jefferson’s national reputation for textiles led her to East Falls, although Brown admits she knew little about the field when she began her studies.
“I started on the ground floor, but I came in humble and ready to learn,” she says. “The faculty were always helpful. If I had questions, they had answers. If I wanted to learn more, they were ready and willing to help.”
Joining a student research group with Engineering Professor Dr. Radika Bhaskar also prepared her for life after Jefferson. “I didn’t expect that group would enhance my academic experience as much as it did,” she says. “I never had the chance to do research before. I got to work hands-on, experimenting with other students and learning how to conduct research properly.”
Nikki Dedes, BS in Pre-Medical Studies
Nikki Dedes feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude as she graduates this month, but she knows it’s just part of her journey. She starts at Sidney Kimmel Medical College this summer.
Dedes has wanted to be a physician for as long as she can remember, making casts out of wipes for her American Girl dolls. Also, as an injury-prone soccer player growing up, she often found herself in the hospital with a split chin or forehead.
“I was a frequent flier to the ER but always felt comfortable in a hospital setting,” she says. “I loved the doctors, and it sparked my curiosity about the field.”
Dedes excelled both in and out of the classroom at Jefferson. Along with earning numerous personal accolades on the women’s soccer team, she helped propel the Rams to a CACC Championship and back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
“I couldn’t say enough good things about Jefferson—the faculty, the staff, my classmates and teammates,” says Dedes, who hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine. “I’ve had the best experience here, and staying felt like a natural next step.”
Abby Jackson, Doctorate of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy gives Abby Jackson everything she wanted in one degree with facets of rehabilitation, psychology, public and population health, and social and civil justice. Her aunt, a now-retired occupational therapist, provided early inspiration.
“It’s surreal,” says Jackson, on the eve of Commencement. “I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was 15 years old.”
For her capstone, she worked with Project HOME’s Hub of Hope, which offers housing options and programs for people who are unhoused. Jackson collaborated with 15 participants to write advocacy letters to government officials in support of Project HOME’s Homelessness Is Not a Crime campaign.
She also embraced the University’s many interprofessional opportunities, including the palliative care program, ARTZ at Jefferson, the Asano Humanities and Health Certificate and an exchange program with Ulster University to learn about healthcare in Northern Ireland.
“I appreciated the opportunity to grow and absorb as much as I could while I was here,” says Jackson, who earned the OT Department’s Advocacy and Occupational Justice Award. “I know it will enhance my professional abilities.”
Cami Jacobson, BS in Information Technology Management
The University’s new Information Technology Management program gave Cami Jacobson a space to “geek out,” while helping the Jefferson community.
Jacobson followed a nontraditional pathway to the University. While homeschooled in high school, she took classes at a community college. The flexibility of Jefferson’s online accelerated program allowed her to incorporate those credits and finish in December—after just one year here.
“Plus, I could graduate debt-free, which has been my goal since eighth grade,” Jacobson says. “Jefferson checked all the boxes.”
The University’s small classes, which covered a mix of business and technology topics, allowed her to learn from her classmates and experienced faculty, resulting in “less memorization and more discussions.”
In addition, Jacobson completed a for-credit internship at Jefferson Health, which she parlayed into a full-time position here as a security analyst. In part, she creates simulated phishing emails to help ensure colleagues don’t fall for real scams. “I can protect others and teach them how to stay safe,” Jacobson says.
Emily Luckenbach, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
One night in high school, Emily Luckenbach took an online quiz to help her figure out her career plans. The answer, landscape architecture, surprised her.
Luckenbach had never heard of the field, but after some research, she knew it would be a perfect fit as it combines her love of art, nature and environmental science.
For her senior capstone, Luckenbach partnered with the Hill Top Preparatory School in Bryn Mawr, Pa., a school for neurodiverse students. She collaborated with teachers, administrators and students to design a restorative exploration trail made of five distinct “worlds” that invite neurodiverse students to step out of classroom fatigue and into environments where curiosity and self‑directed exploration unfold.
Luckenbach recently accepted a full-time position as a graduate landscape architect at Pennoni. “I had four years of pushing my passion forward,” she says. “I’m really proud of where I am, and I’m excited to graduate.”
Kai Mangahas, BS in Health Sciences
Decorated student-athlete Kai Mangahas has played soccer since age 5, and some of his favorite Jefferson memories have come with his Rams teammates—practices, games, grabbing food together at Kanbar and everything in between.
Soccer also strengthened his ability to connect with people from diverse cultures and personalities and to navigate uncertainty. “That will translate into the healthcare industry,” he says. “You never know who will walk through your door as a patient.”
After earning numerous CACC All-Academic honors, Mangahas will attend grad school to become a physician assistant.
“Working in a senior living home for five years has made me love caring for others,” he says. “I want to be a PA to help people holistically and thoroughly. The flexibility and growing importance of the PA profession also influenced my decision to pursue this field.”
Cody Owens, Accelerated BSN Plus
Cody Owens knew he wanted to be a nurse after completing his military service in 2016. A passion for hands-on care carried him through his four years with the Marines.
Even during off hours, Owens often found himself “at the hip” of corpsmen during man-down scenarios. He also spent two months training in live combat casualty care, working with tourniquets, live tissue, chest seals, Stop-the-Bleed techniques and more.
His time in the Marines taught him to recognize subtle cues and stay focused in high-stress situations—skills that will carry over to nursing, says Owens, a Jefferson College of Nursing-Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Service Scholar.
After working as an advanced EMT for the past six years, Owens will continue his career in the cardiac ICU at Jefferson Abington Hospital, where he completed his capstone.
Paris Schell, BS in Biopsychology
Don’t be surprised to see Paris Schell on Capitol Hill soon. She will attend graduate school in the Washington, D.C., area to study social policy and pursue a career in politics.
“Throughout my journey, especially while helping support my family as my grandmother battled cancer, I became deeply aware of the inequities that exist within our systems,” she says. “Watching her fight with strength and dignity until her last breath instilled in me a responsibility to advocate for better systems and stronger communities.”
Schell spent the past four years with Jefferson’s Student Government Association, the last two as president. She worked passionately to support her classmates and make Jefferson a better place, all while developing her leadership skills.
“My favorite and most transformative experience was finding my authentic voice,” says Schell, who founded Jefferson’s Intercultural Advisory Board. “That growth is something I will carry with me into every space I enter moving forward.”
Shiyun Tang, BS in Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences With Medical Dosimetry Concentration
Shiyun Tang’s educational and professional life saw many twists and turns before Jefferson. After earning her undergrad degree in communication and master’s in arts management, she worked for a few nonprofits.
When the pandemic hit, Tang pivoted and returned to school for integrative design and media to improve her coding and computer skills. Here, she found the work somewhat repetitive.
Tang’s husband, a medical physicist, suggested a different, more fulfilling option—medical dosimetry, which brought her to Jefferson. The field builds on her work experience and desire to help others. Plus, her father’s cancer diagnosis gave her insight into the behind-the-scenes aspects of treatment.
“That changed my perspective,” Tang says. “The technology amazed me.”
Some of her favorite Jefferson memories came from working with medical physicists and dosimetrists during an Asplundh Cancer Pavilion clinical rotation. Starting this September, Tang will work as a medical dosimetrist at a North Jersey medical center.
Dr. Arezoo Zomorrodi, MS in Healthcare Quality and Safety
As the vice chair of quality for the department of pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Health, Dr. Arezoo Zomorrodi recognized she could strengthen her impact in the role by pursuing additional training.
“It makes my work more thoughtful and academic now,” says Dr. Zomorrodi, also a pediatric emergency medicine physician.
Through the healthcare quality and safety program, she studied strategies to prevent adverse events, suboptimal care, ineffective treatments, inefficient processes and unnecessary clinical variation across health systems.
Her capstone—a rewarding, large-scale project—explored ways to improve antimicrobial stewardship in pediatric patients with otitis media and pneumonia.
Dr. Zomorrodi offers these words to physicians in academia considering another degree: “It’s important to differentiate yourself and develop a niche to be successful in an area academically intriguing to you. It brings joy and adds another dynamic to one’s career.”
Jefferson honored dozens of graduating students at the 50th annual Academic Awards Ceremony. Congrats to all the winners, and we wish you continued success in your careers!
Thomas Jefferson University’s Class of 2026 enters the workforce as innovators, designers, healthcare professionals and changemakers. In this video, students reflect on years of growth, connection and preparation—and share their excitement for what comes next.