Spotlighting the 2025 NSEW Graduate Assistants of the Year: Hiral Luhar & Yashi Shah

At New York Institute of Technology, student employment is more than a paycheck—it’s a platform for growth, leadership, and impact. Each year, thousands of students take on campus roles that sharpen their skills, support their peers, and shape their futures. But among them, a few stand out—not just for what they do, but how they do it.

This year, the Office of Student Employment proudly recognizes Hiral Luhar, a Business Analytics graduate student, and Yashi Shah, a Cybersecurity master’s candidate, as the 2025 Graduate Assistants of the Year. Their stories are distinct, but their journeys are connected by a shared spirit of service, resilience, and transformation.

From Asking for Help to Offering It: Hiral’s Rise from Student Aide to Campus Leader

When Hiral Luhar landed at NYIT in early 2024, she didn’t wait for opportunities she created them. Like many international students, she began by booking advising appointments and exploring Handshake. “That’s when I got selected for my first role as a Student Aide under the Career Success and Experiential Education team,” she recalls. “It gave me hands-on exposure and helped me feel connected.”

That “small start” led to something bigger. By Spring 2025, Hiral had earned one of the most competitive Graduate Assistant roles at NYIT, managing onboarding for student hires through the Office of Student Employment. Her responsibilities expanded quickly handling sensitive paperwork, facilitating decisions, and redesigning entire processes to improve efficiency. “This job gave me hands-on experience in areas like data accuracy, process automation, and cross-department collaboration,” she says.

And her impact has been felt across campus.

During peak hiring periods, Hiral’s attention to detail prevented processing delays and ensured a smooth transition for hundreds of students entering employment. But her proudest achievement? “Being awarded the Graduate Assistantship wasn’t just about a title,” she reflects. “It was validation of the effort I had been putting in since day one.”

Bridging Academic Success and Administrative Excellence: Yashi’s Dual Role

Across campus on the Long Island site, Yashi Shah has been quietly transforming the student experience in two departments at once. As a Graduate Assistant for both the Learning Center and the Nursing Department, Yashi brings a rare blend of technical knowledge, empathy, and efficiency to every task she touches.

“I support undergraduates in cybersecurity tutoring, helping them build skills, and gain confidence,” she explains. “At the same time, I’m digitizing years of records for the Nursing Department to help improve access and organization.”

It’s this dual focus academic support and administrative transformation that makes Yashi’s contribution so remarkable. Her efforts have helped students improve academically while lightening the load for staff behind the scenes. “One of my highlights was being recognized as Graduate Assistant of the Year for the Long Island campus,” she shares. “It affirmed that consistency, care, and passion for service make a real difference.”

Growth in the Grit: Lessons Learned from Challenge and Change

Neither Hiral nor Yashi shied away from the hard parts of their roles—in fact, they leaned into them.

For Hiral, the biggest hurdle was learning to trust herself in a new cultural and professional environment. “When I first started, I was unsure of myself,” she admits. “But this role challenged me in the best way. With every task I completed, I felt more capable.”

Over time, she became the go-to expert for hiring protocols, systems like Workday and PeopleSoft, and student inquiries. That transformation didn’t just improve operations it reshaped how she saw herself. “Confidence doesn’t come all at once,” she says. “It builds with every challenge you face and overcome.”

Yashi echoes this sentiment. Supporting two departments meant juggling tutoring, record management, and campus leadership all while balancing a rigorous academic load. “This job helped me improve communication, adaptability, and time management,” she says. “I’ve learned how to explain complex topics to students from different backgrounds and manage deadlines with precision.”

More Than a Job: Lifting Others Through Service

Both Hiral and Yashi see their roles not as tasks to complete, but as missions to uplift others.

For Hiral, that means creating a welcoming space for students navigating NYIT’s hiring systems for the first time, especially fellow international students. “I always try to be the person I needed when I first came here,” she says. “That reassurance can change everything.”

Yashi has witnessed her work spark academic breakthroughs. “At the Learning Center, I’ve seen students go from struggling with technical topics to exploring cybersecurity as a career path,” she says with pride. “It’s incredible to know that you’ve helped open that door.”

Looking Forward: Careers, Confidence, and the Power of Showing Up

As they near graduation, both students reflect on what student employment has given them not just in skill, but in spirit.

“This role helped me grow as a professional,” says Hiral. “More than anything, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about ownership.”

Yashi agrees. “Showing up with intention and kindness leaves a lasting impact,” she says. “Whether it’s helping someone learn or easing a department’s workload, small efforts matter.”

With career aspirations in business operations and data analytics (Hiral) and ethical hacking and cybersecurity leadership (Yashi), both students are poised to carry the lessons of NYIT into the world beyond campus. But perhaps their most important legacy is what they’ve given back—compassion, excellence, and a roadmap for others to follow.

Their advice to future student workers?

“Take the first step,” says Hiral. “Use the support around you—you never know where it can lead.”

“Say yes to the experience,” adds Yashi. “You’ll grow more than you can imagine.”

Congratulations to our 2025 NSEW Graduate Assistants of the Year, Hiral Luhar and Yashi Shah, trailblazers, mentors, and everyday leaders redefining what it means to succeed. 

Contributors: Denniesia Cameron, Mick Bradley, Hiral Sunny Luhar, Yashi Shah