MLK Scholars Alum Helps Companies Become More Inclusive

First-generation college student Nour Abdelwahab (BS ’21, Media, Culture, and Communication) credits NYU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program for allowing her the access she needed to higher education that helped shape her life’s course.

Growing up in a low-income community in New Jersey, Abdelwahab didn’t have access to high-quality high school resources or collegiate advising. In fact, when she mentioned to her guidance counselor that she aspired to attend an out-of-state or private university, Abdelwahab was discouraged because of the price tag.

Abdelwahab went to Reddit to seek advice on how to make her dream affordable, and a current MLK Scholar told her all about the program—a highly selective university leadership program dedicated to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. that substantially covers tuition costs.

“I started doing my research, and fortunately community service and social justice were already big for me,” says Abdelwahab, who won an award for the most community service hours volunteered in the history of her high school. “I applied as a shot in the dark, and I’m so grateful that I was chosen. Without the MLK Scholars Program, I would not have been able to go to NYU, which undoubtedly had a hand at shaping the kind of future I’m building for myself.”

Passionate about social justice and how the media shapes people’s perceptions, Abdelwahab applied and was accepted into the Media, Culture, and Communication (MCC) program, which offers a deep exploration into the sociological, political, and cultural dimensions of the media landscape.

“MCC offers such a broad curriculum, and people can take so many diverse routes with it,” says Abdelwahab, who concentrated her studies on the economics and politics of media with a big focus on propaganda. “I was very interested in the academic research aspect, and the faculty were so supportive in entertaining my curiosity about lots of different sociological questions.”

After graduation, Abdelwahab was headhunted by an individual at C Street Advisory Group who was interested in creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm. 

“In 2021, we were experiencing the height of COVID-19 and other civil rights issues like the George Floyd protests, so everyone from the federal government to Google and Microsoft wanted to make a DEI commitment and stand for inclusion,” says Abdelwahab, who worked for nearly two years with the firm’s clients, such as academic institutions, nonprofits, and startups, to change their internal policies and put together fellowships that lowered barriers to access.

Today, Abdelwahab works in a similar capacity as an inclusion strategy supervisor for Guided by Good, which incubates, accelerates, and grows new ventures that drive culture and commerce. She works with advertising agencies, philanthropic organizations, and nonprofits to align executives on the importance of DEI, as well as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and corporate responsibility.

“Ultimately I want to take my experience in the corporate world and go back to school so that I can shape new and better policies,” says Abdelwahab, who has been accepted to the Master of Public Affairs program at Brown University. “After that, I’d love to get my PhD so I can teach in higher education one day.”

As she shapes a career helping others thrive, Abdelwahab believes that the MLK Scholars Program supported her in more ways than just financially.

“I became even closer with my MLK cohort after graduation, and one of the biggest benefits has been being part of a like-minded community,” says Abdelwahab. “The idea of inclusion is at risk, and DEI came out of the same civil rights that Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about. The kind of perspectives I learned at NYU Steinhardt helped shape who I am, and I want more people to have the opportunity to change their world view like I did.”

Learn more about NYU’s MLK Scholars Program.