Ishrat Jahan is a student at New York University studying Social Cultural Analysis, specifically an intersection between Metropolitan and American studies. She has been a part of the Generation Citizen community since her junior year of high school, having the opportunity to go from being a student in the GC classroom to a Community Change Fellow, a Student Leadership Board Member, and now, a 50×2026 Advisory Council member.
Growing up in vibrant, diverse neighborhoods in Brooklyn tainted by social, political, and economic problems, Ishrat had the chance to understand what it means to be civically engaged from a young age. Since then, adding to her experiences with GC, she has been striving for excellence in both school and extracurricular life. At NYU, she is involved with the Presidential Honors Scholar program, the BIPOC Legal Society, Student Government Assembly, NYU BeTogether, and NYU Votes. Outside of school, she has been an intern for the NYC Mayor’s Office, Brooklyn Community Services, and the Manhattan Borough President’s Office; a fellow for the Goddard Riverside Community Center and YVote/NextGen Politics; and a youth board member for Scholarship PLUS, Let’s Get Ready, and the Youth Justice Board at the Center for Court Innovation.
Ishrat calls Bed-Stuy and East New York, Brooklyn, home and enjoys trying cuisine from all over the world, spending time with loved ones, and exploring New York City. While her future career is yet to be determined, she knows that whatever path she chooses, it should ultimately be to impact and empower communities, just like the ones she’s a part of now.