Bergen Community College

Bergen Community College alumna Hosna Kachooee, ‘26, gained a well-rounded educational experience after getting involved in diverse student organizations across campus. Kachooee enrolled at Bergen alongside her sister, Hanieh, who also studied computer science.

“When I first came to Bergen, I was not exactly sure what I wanted to study,” said Kachooee, of Ridgefield Park. “I think the community here really helps you view different perspectives and make better decisions regarding the educational path that you want to take.”

Studying alongside each other, the Kachooee sisters also became members of the Judith K. Winn School of Honors, and recently served as co-presidents during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Kachooee joined Bergen’s STEM Student Scholar (3SP) Program, which provides STEM students with faculty mentorship and support to conduct on-campus research and off-campus internships. After joining, she gained a passion for agriculture and wanted to focus on projects aimed at advancing agricultural technology, also known as agritech.

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.

“Over recent years, I have been particularly interested in agritech that involves technology within agriculture to find more efficient ways of providing food to the public,” she said. “Joining this project allowed me to discover different hydroponic systems, collect data, and conduct scientific research.”

At the 2025 3SP Summit, Kachooee joined the Pop-Up Hydroponics Farming (PUHF) team. This project focused on utilizing empty building spaces around New Jersey to implement indoor hydroponic farms that would also solve food poverty across the state. The PUHF team placed second in the summit’s Presentation Competition.

“In the STEM program, I was able to meet a lot of good and dedicated people,” said Kachooee. “I think being around these sorts of people allowed me to expand my knowledge and open my mind to new ways that I didn’t even know were possible.”

Kachooee also stepped into a more creative headspace after getting involved with Labyrinth, a student literary and arts magazine published at Bergen. She was Labyrinth’s layout editor and technical designer during the 2024-2025 academic year. Kachooee also served as editor-in-chief of Bergen’s student-run newspaper, the Bergen Torch.

She was also a peer tutor with the Cerullo Learning Assistance Center. She received the “Exemplary Dedication to Student Award” in May 2025 and the “College Transfer Essay Program Award” in May 2026.

When asked what made her successful at Bergen, Kachooee credits “speaking up, taking the leap, and being open to new things.”

Kachooee graduated in 2026, and now looks forward to enrolling in a STEM program related to agritech 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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