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Bergen Community College alumna Hanieh Kachooee, ‘26, valued her college experience after becoming deeply rooted within the Bergen community. Kachooee enrolled at Bergen alongside her sister, Hosna, who also studied computer science.
“Coming to Bergen, I got the chance to really experience what it means to be part of a team and take up roles within the community,” said Kachooee, of Ridgefield Park. “I also had the chance to take up leadership positions, initiate projects, and work with faculty and staff.”
During her time at Bergen, Kachooee served as the Student Government Association (SGA) President during the 2024-2025 academic year. As SGA President, Kachooee swore in 75 SGA senators and officers to support campus initiatives. She also founded the “SGA Servant Leader Scholarship,” and led the feminine hygiene initiative to provide free menstruation products to students.
She was also a peer tutor at the Cerullo Learning Assistance Center. She received the “Peer Writing Tutor Award” in May 2025 and the “Exemplary Dedication to Student Success Award” in May 2026.
Studying for her associate’s degree alongside her sister, the Kachooee sisters became members of the Judith K. Winn School of Honors, and recently served as co-presidents during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Kachooee joined the STEM Student Scholar (3SP) Program, which provides STEM students with faculty mentorship and support to conduct on-campus research and off-campus internships. As a 3SP student, Kachooee joined the “Growing Green: Hydroponics at Bergen Community College” team project, which was presented at the 2024 3SP Summit at Bergen’s Meadowlands Campus.
The project focused on finding the best farming method to implement on a small-scale community garden: hydroponics farming. This method of growing plants utilizes a nutrient-rich water solution rather than traditional soil, also allowing plants to be stacked vertically or placed in small indoor spaces.
“What inspired me to be in this project is the fact that cultivating food is a fundamental aspect of our society right now, and the current farming methods that we have are not the most sustainable,” she said.
The team began cultivating purple basil in soil with two different hydroponic systems to see which one works better. Research also indicated that community college students are especially vulnerable to food insecurity, and hydroponic farming could utilize unused spaces around campus to grow fresh food. The project placed first in the Biology and Chemistry category at the 2024 3SP Summit.
“Professionally, it has been a very important stepping stone for me,” said Kachooee. “With the 3SP program at Bergen Community College, I had a chance to practice research skills that I’m going to need when I transfer to a four-year institution to major in a STEM field.”
At the 2025 3SP Summit, Kachooee joined and presented a quantum matter simulation project titled, “Electronic and Magnetic Studies of Heusler Compounds XFe2Si (X = Ti and V): A First Principles Study.” This project placed first in the Team Poster Competition at the Summit.
Kachooee consistently entered various summits and conferences to share not just scientific research, but projects based in the humanities. She presented at the 2025 Beacon Student Conference for Student Scholars at Two-Year Colleges. Her research paper, “The Feminization of Poverty in Iran,” received the Award for Outstanding Presentation and Paper at the conference.
“I’m very grateful for all the incredible people that I have met here and the connections that I have made, and I look forward to what the future brings,” said Kachooee.
Kachooee graduated in 2026, and now looks forward to enrolling in a STEM program at a four-year college.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 24,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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