Class of 2026 Graduate Makes More Than Just Academic Mark; Meet Jamal Akin-Tukur, SUNY Oswego’s “Outstanding” Senior

Jamal Akin-Tukur stepped foot in America and on SUNY Oswego’s campus as a 15-year-old boy. Four years later, he ended his undergraduate time on campus as a man who changed the lives of many.

Akin-Tukur grew up in Nigeria, where he lived until he was 15 before ultimately coming to the United States for college. He had gone to boarding school when he was nine, and skipped from fourth to seventh grade. Akin-Tukur remembers the experience as challenging, but an integral part in shaping the person he has become.

“My dorm had two floors and six rooms. Each room had 50 bunk beds, so there were 100 boys in each room. They’d wake us up at 5 A.M. to take a shower, and you’d have to be at the next location by 5:30… Things like that taught me so much time management, discipline, and planning.”

Starting a new life across the world was about as much of a culture shock as you could imagine, though. Jamal grew up learning British English, and says everything down to the way people pronounce ‘water’ was different.

“The way people phrase certain things just makes me wonder, are we speaking the same language?” says Akin-Tukur.

Where he is from, the way Professors and people of authority are addressed may be somewhat more formal than that of an American college campus. Akin Tukur explained that, when he got here, he would ‘bend’ a little if not completely lie down on the floor to greet people older than him.

“People started looking at me crazy when I was doing that, so I thought maybe not,” Jamal explained.

Though the world around him was ever changing, the morals and motivation that drove his quest for a bachelor’s degree never wavered.

Akin Tukur’s ‘why’ is a tragedy that took place within his family. He shared the story of his uncle’s passing and how it affected his aunt and their one-year-old child, who was left behind.

“One day, he went to a party where he collapsed and died.”

Following the death, his uncle’s family took the house, car, and tried to take the kid. This left his aunt with next to nothing- Akin-Tukur believes that if she had proper representation, she could have claimed the belongings that would have been rightfully hers.

“That whole situation inspired me to want to stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves, people who aren’t knowledgeable enough, or just don’t have the resources, because my uncle had no money left behind. He didn’t let my aunt work.” 

This is why Akin-Tukur’s goal was not just to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. It was to become a successful attorney.

He began working feverishly towards those goals, but the path wasn’t linear. In his first semester, Jamal had a 3.1 GPA. To keep the international scholarship he was given upon enrollment, he had to have a 3.0, so just squeaking by wasn’t up to his standards. From there, he told himself he wanted to make the Dean’s List.

He did just that- during his sophomore year, Akin-Tukur achieved a 3.4 GPA in the fall, and a 3.6 in the spring. That became a 3.8, which evolved to a 3.9 during his junior year.

By the fall semester of his senior year, Akin-Tukur was a 4.0 student.

“Since my first semester here, I have been very intentional about what classes I take. Since the beginning, I knew what classes I’d be taking before I graduated.”

What Jamal Akin-Tukur would call the defining moment of his college career, though, was the way in which he fought to improve the lives of the institution’s international students and succeeded in doing so.

“I paid $2,000 to leave my country to get here, and I’m still paying for textbooks and all this extracurricular stuff outside of classes, and then you’re still gonna make me pay $1,000 to stay in school for one extra week. What’s the point?” argued Akin-Tukur.

During the 2022-23 school year, Akin-Tukur’s first in college SUNY Oswego was holding an awareness campaign regarding international student housing- many thought it unfair that they would have to pay extra beyond tuition to stay on campus during breaks. The reality for many was that, due to the process of travel and visas, it was not realistic for them to go home.

“We wrote, we made posters, and there was a news channel that came to interview us to talk about the issue and just spread awareness.”

Christina Seado Vasquez, the director of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), met Akin-Tukur around this time. Her program typically attracts a plethora of international students, which aims to create and cultivate a safe and comfortable space. She says that she admired the way he made sure his voice was heard.

“Jamal approaches these things in a very different way, a quieter one. It was more about how we can impact policy. How can we impact things at a higher level instead of just being mad about it?”

Vasquez understands the current reality of living and going to school internationally, which only further cements how remarkable Akin-Tukur’s growth has been.

“I think being an international student in our current culture is really, really difficult. Jamal handles it with as much grace as he possibly can. He’s pushing forward because he’s working towards some big goals, but I don’t know how much this weighs on him.”

If the pressure has weighed on Akin-Tukur, it’d be hard to tell. This spring, he was awarded the 2026 Outstanding Senior Award, an award that recognizes graduating seniors who are highly involved on campus while maintaining academic excellence. Jamal was nominated for the award by another faculty member who recognizes his potential- Dorren Allen Carr, who serves as one of two assistant directors for the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. Allen Carr has worked with Jamal through the ‘ALANA’ Multicultural Club/Organization Planning Committee, where he serves as a member of the committee. Jamal has maintained heavy involvement and is the current president of the International Student Association. 

“I’ve seen him build a strong and effective presence throughout campus, not just in students’ lives, but across different departments. Jamal is known for his effective leadership and his impact not just among students, but staff and faculty.”

Allen-Carr explained that Jamal is especially deserving of the award, due to all the work he has put in and his aforementioned leadership.

The award was something that Akin-Takur had hoped and prayed for, but not something he expected to receive. 

“I called my mom that morning, and I told her I got nominated for this award, but I don’t think I am going to win… she told me not to feel down, but right after that, I got the phone call saying I’d won it and I was losing my mind.”

To him, the award itself is not an achievement. It is recognition of the things he has done to be recognized, and further validates the hopes he has for the future.

Akin-Takur gained admission into Atlanta John Marshall Law School, CUNY Law, and SUNY Oswego’s MBA Program/Master’s in Human Computer Interaction. He has chosen to accept his offer from the latter and stay at Oswego for a few more years. 

For those interested, Jamal Akin-Tukurs involvements/achievements are listed below:

Leadership & Campus Involvement

President — International Student Association — May 2025 – Present

Reservations Coordinator — International Student Association — Aug 2024 – May 2025

President — African Student Organization — May 2024 – May 2025

Director of Programming — African Student Organization — Aug 2023 – May 2024

Co-Founder & Director of Programming — Golden-Z Club — Apr 2023 – December 2024

Director of Committee — Golden-Z Club — January 2024 – May 2024

Senior Advisor— Golden-Z Club — August 2024- Present 

Director of Correspondence — Two and a Half — Jan 2024 – May 2024

Stage Designer— TEDxSUNY Oswego — 2024–2025

Institutional Roles

Resident Assistant — SUNY Oswego Residence Life & Housing — Aug 2024 – Present

Success Coach — SUNY Oswego Orientation & Family Engagement — Aug 2023 – Oct 2023

Teaching Assistant (GST 104) — SUNY Oswego Orientation & Family Engagement — Aug 2023 – Oct 2023

Laker Leader — SUNY Oswego Orientation & Family Engagement — Aug 2023

Academic Support & Mentorship

Peer Tutor (CRJ 101) — SUNY Oswego Office of Learning Services — Jan 2024 – May 2024

Embedded Tutor (MAT 102) — SUNY Oswego Office of Learning Services — Jan 2024 – May 2024

Mentor — Focus Forward Program — Jan 2024 – May 2024

Internship Experience

Legal Office Assistant — Options Law Group, P.C. — June 2025 – Aug 2025

 Awards & Honors

President’s List — Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025

Dean’s List — Fall 2023, Spring 2024

Olive Brannan Spargo ’31 Endowed Leadership Award — Spring 2025

Hubert B. Smith Diversity Scholarship — Spring 2025

Outstanding Senior in Criminal Justice – 2026 Honors Convocation.

Oswego Alumni Association’s 2026 Outstanding Senior Award