Karen Bekhazi ’25

Describe your major for someone who has never heard of your field before. 
The show “Phineas and Ferb” but in real life. Bring a bunch of creative and curious people together, give them either an unmet need, a question to answer, some equations, or a lot of tools, and let them have fun with it. 

Did you ever have trouble deciding on a major? What, ultimately, helped you decide? 
I knew I wanted to study engineering before coming to Smith. I’ve always liked its premise, which is just using technology and science to address unmet needs and help people with their everyday lives. Smith’s approach to engineering, which also borrows heavily from the liberal arts to contextualize those needs, aligned a lot with my idea of the field. 

What is one preconception about your major that people often get wrong? 
It’s that we spend all day setting up equations and solving them. Engineering is a lot more hands-on and multidisciplinary than that. It’s all about communicating with the people we’re trying to help and getting continuous input from them when designing a solution. What advice would you give another Smithie? Smith might be, for many of us at least, our last chance of living in such a tight-knit community. Find people who’ll make you miss it. Everyone's different and it might take you more or less time than others to find people you can connect with. But, investing in this aspect of your Smith experience is so important. And travel if you can! We’re lucky to have long breaks, so take advantage of them. 

What’s your all-time (big or small) favorite Smith memory? 
I’m so grateful to find this question hard to answer. So many moments come to mind, like three-hour-long conversations with friends that sometimes lasted till 2 am, Mountain Day apple picking with housemates, hikes, and ice hockey watch parties with friends. One moment that also sticks with me is a conversation I had with an alum back in 2023. I was staying for Reunion and we happened to meet in one of the hallways. She asked me what I was studying and then followed up by saying, “You’re one of those women who’ll change the world.” Her faith in me empowers me to this day. 

Describe a moment from a class that particularly sticks with you. 
I’m lucky to have had a great time in most of the classes I’ve taken here. My favorite moments from my engineering classes will always be working with classmates on homework problems. There’s nothing more bonding than spending almost three hours trying to figure out one question with friends. 

What’s your Big Dream for your future? 
So many. And, now that I think about it, all my answers have that in common so far. One dream that I have for the near future is to work in immigrant and refugee health after Smith. 

What was most interesting or unique about your house and what will you miss about it? 
The community. Chase was my home away from home. I think of the people I met there as my second family. We can always count on having lunch and/or dinner together in the common room. Just like Friday tea, it’s become a house tradition. 

If you could tell an incoming first-year anything about Smith, what would it be? 
Being a Smithie is one of the most empowering experiences there is. It’s not easy at all, you’ll be challenged intellectually and emotionally almost every day. But, I genuinely can’t think of a place other than Smith that’ll teach and show you that you can do anything you set your mind to. Take advantage of all the different clubs and initiatives happening on campus, and get out of your comfort zone as much as you can while you’re here. You’ll be so proud of yourself in your senior year for having worked so hard. 

What is your proudest accomplishment? 
I’m so thankful I got to make so much out of my time here. I’m proud of the research I’m doing with Prof. Buck and of my work with the Jandon Center. But, my proudest accomplishment will always be being a Smithie. 

What do you think has been the most “Smithie” thing you’ve done in life so far? 
Showing up for those I care about and challenging myself every day. Being a Smithie has taught me to value knowledge and community above all else. This is why I stuck with engineering and got as involved as possible in my house community and the Jandon Center. 

What do you wish older alums knew about your class? 
I’d reiterate what I was told by one of the alums in 2023. The senior class this year is filled with people who’ll change the world!