Aliya Deen

Aliya Deen transferred to Purchase after earning an AAS in Legal Studies from Rockland Community College.

Deen works part-time as a paralegal while pursuing her BA in Law and Justice Studies and plans to do an internship or two as well. She finds her professors very helpful with sharing opportunities and offering to write recommendation letters.

She also appreciates that her professors are experienced professionals, which lends credibility to what they’re teaching, like Assistant Professor Laura Ricciardi, an attorney and visual artist working at the intersection of art and law, and Lecturer Ndukwe Daniel Agwu ’03, currently Chief Legal Officer at Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A.

“The law isn’t very clear at all,” Deen says, laughing. “And it’s really entertaining to see how they bring in their own personal experiences with litigation and the system, and they’re able to tell their students all these different things … so they understand what they’re getting into once they graduate.”

Campus Life

When Deen transferred to Purchase, she found the community very accepting.

“Everybody was always very welcoming—the students, the professors, the administration, and the faculty,” she says. “They all worked to help out and to make sure that my transfer in was as seamless as possible.”

Also an athlete, Deen is a member of the Women’s Volleyball team and looks forward to next season. She also spends time with the Political Science Club, and plans to minor in Political Science.

Deen  lives on campus in a residence that she says is really nice. “I like not having to pay for my laundry.” When it comes to studying though, her favorite place on campus is the Library, where she spends a lot of time getting ready for the LSATs as she prepares for law school.

What does Purchase make possible? “Purchase makes it possible to be accepted.”