In upcoming Commencement speeches, senior orators to reflect on the meaning of community

But his interests don't end at the Egyptian border, or at the intersection of math and economics. Faheem said one of the most rewarding academic pursuits during his time at Brown was a Group Independent Study Project titled "Learning with AI." Along with two fellow students and a faculty adviser, Faheem designed and co-taught a course taken this semester by 25 students.

"I wanted to create an environment for me and other students to see where and how AI has a role in education - and if it has a role at all," Faheem said.

Throughout the semester, students and instructors experimented with various AI tools to see if they could raise their scores on baseline assessments in subjects from physics to French. The group will compile their findings in a report for Brown's associate provost for AI, which could help to inform Brown's approach to AI moving forward.

"I think, anecdotally, the number one thing I learned is you have to want to learn," he said. "There's never going to be a replacement for human effort, but these tools could be massively helpful, and we may need to rethink how students are assessed."

Faheem's drive to learn has not been confined to the classroom - his interactions with fellow students outside of class have been an equal partner in his Brown education. He has immersed himself in as many campus activities as he could fit in. He was president of the Brown Union of Global Students, senior adviser to the Brown Investment Group and vice president of the Bruno Finance Society, along with a myriad of entrepreneurial ventures. He saw his participation in those activities as a way of giving back to the Brown community.

"I've seen firsthand how helpful this community is and how much people are willing to support each other," he said. "I've had massive help from the people I've known at Brown. And so those clubs felt like a way for me to give something back to that community."

It's those relationships with the people who helped him, and those who he has helped in turn, that came to define his Brown experience, he says. That's part of the message of his upcoming Commencement address. He'll urge his fellow graduates to not let those moments of human connection get lost to the hustle of everyday life.

"It's about intentionality and the importance of making time for other people," Faheem said. "That's how we made Brown ours, and that's how you'll make wherever you go next yours. It's what keeps us open to new thoughts and new adventures."

Faheem says he's grown immensely over the past four years, and though his days as a student at Brown are nearing an end, he'll always carry a bit of Brown with him. After graduation, he will start a position in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.

"I feel more ready to contribute to society," Faheem said. "But beyond that, Brown has given me amazing friends and an amazing network of people who are the most helpful, kindest people in the world."