Meet the Class of 2026: Loujain Ahmed

Ever since she enrolled as a student in spring 2024, Loujain Ahmed made sure to make the most of her time at Montgomery County Community College, while always keeping her eyes fixed on the stars. Now the 20-year-old from West Philadelphia will soon earn an Associate of Science degree in Physical Sciences and was recently tapped to deliver the student address at Commencement May 14.  

“It feels crazy,” she said on giving the speech. “I submitted the application on the last day it was due. It feels like full circle moment for my time at Montco. I feel really proud as well.”

Selecting Montco

Ahmed’s story began after she and her family moved to the city in fall 2023 and she wanted to find a community college that had a great STEM program. A lifelong lover of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Ahmed remembers visiting the Blue Bell Campus and falling in love with the observatory on top of the Advanced Technology Center.

“On the car ride home,” she said, “I told my dad that’s where I was going.”

How Do You Montco

As a student, Ahmed was driven. She routinely put in 17-hour school days. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week, she woke up at 6 a.m. or earlier to catch an 8 a.m. train to Norristown, then hopped on the SEPTA number 96 bus by 9:30 a.m. to get to Blue Bell in time for her first class at 10 a.m. From there she would sit in classes until 2 p.m.

Then depending on the day, that was followed by extracurricular activities, then homework on the bus and the train back home, before getting to bed by 11 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she’d wake up at 4 a.m. to catch the train to Norristown, then take the  number 93 bus to its last stop at MCCC’s Pottstown Campus for a paid internship at the Challenger Learning Center at Montco Pottstown.

“I got a lot of sleep on the bus. The bus drivers would wake me up at the end of the line,” she said. “I did that schedule for two years.”

When she was on campus, Ahmed was a heavily involved leader. She served as president of the Student Government Association, Astro Club and Muslim Students Association. She was also vice president of the Debate Club and participated in organizations including the International Club and Montco Radio, as the host of “Heart to Headphones.”

She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, and was recognized on the Dean’s List in 2024 and Dean’s Commendation List in 2024 and 2025. Additionally, she served on the President’s Advisory Council on Equity and Social Justice, and President’s Leadership Council. Ahmed was also named a tour guide during the Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaccreditation committee campus visit.

Her leadership on campus did not go unnoticed.

“Loujain has been a phenomenal student leader here at Montco. In my time working with Loujain as the Student Government president, she displayed incredible persistence in overcoming obstacles to achieve her personal and academic goals,” said Tyler Steffy, Director of Student Life. “Through her servant-first leadership style, Loujain strived to lift everyone around her by leading multiple clubs that created a safe community for many students on-campus.

“Lastly, Loujain is someone who has created positive, sustainable change in her time here at Montco whether it was through her engagement in Student Government, the Astro Club, the Muslim Student Association, or her internship at the Challenger Learning Center; Loujain was continually looking to improve the lives of others,” he said. “I am so proud of Loujain for all that she has accomplished here at Montco, and I look forward to seeing what she will accomplish in the future.”

Pursuing Opportunities

At MCCC, Ahmed also pursued her passion for astronomy through the Observational and Radio Astronomy independent study with Physics Associate Professor Kelli Corrado. She helped build horn radio telescopes beginning in October 2024 and continues that work, while also researching the Crab Pulsar. A highlight of her experience was traveling to the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia to conduct hands-on radio astronomy research.

With her internship at the Challenger Learning Center at Montco Pottstown, Ahmed facilitated space mission simulations for elementary and middle school students.

“Loujain was a wonderful student intern who supported Challenger with a regularly positive and joyful attitude,” said Anjuli Aker, Challenger Learning Center Program Coordinator, and Annalise Giuliani, Manager of the Challenger Learning Center. “She was truly invaluable to our day‑to‑day operations, played an essential role in keeping everything running smoothly, and was always willing to help in any manner necessary. We are incredibly proud of her for being selected as the Commencement Student Speaker — though not at all surprised, given the passion she has always shown as a Montco student, a Challenger intern, and now a Temple Owl. While her daily presence is greatly missed at Challenger, we know she’s headed toward even bigger accomplishments, and we can’t wait to see what she achieves next!”

Ahmed said both the independent study and her internship helped her learn more about what she wants to do with her life after school.

“For me, it unlocked a realization that I enjoy teaching younger students,” she said. “The independent study gave me hands-on research and helped me see this is what I want to do forever.”

Ahmed is a STARS-UP (Students Teams Astrophysics Researchers — Undergraduate Pathways) grant recipient, which creates pathways for community college students to pursue astrophysics and astronomy at four-year institutions. She is also a recipient of the Thompson Family Scholarship and the PC4A Grant (Pennsylvania Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement Grant through the United States Department of War).

Ahmed has dedicated time to community engagement through her volunteer work as a Janet’s Planet Astronaut Academy Science Camp counselor, an Odyssey of the Mind judge, and as a workshop facilitator with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Lansdale Branch's annual Discover Your Future event.

Looking Ahead

In fall 2025, she transferred to Temple University where she’s currently studying physics, with a minor in astrophysics. Ahmed plans to pursue graduate studies and continue research in astrophysics.

When asked how she made time for such a successful academic tenure at the College, Ahmed credited the support of her Montco Family. They helped make everything possible for her, she said.

“Having a good support group and people around me,” she said. “And great professors who were understanding.”

In the lead up to Commencement, Ahmed said she was hard at work drafting her speech and wanted to impart the secret to all her success onto her fellow graduates.

“The biggest theme of my speech is community,” she teased, “the transformative power of community.”

With the right community supporting you, it seems, not even the sky is the limit.