‘Nora the Explorer’ driven to create her own opportunities for success at Binghamton University

She calls herself “Nora the Explorer.”

And, not unlike that beloved children’s cartoon whose eponymous main character embarks on unique quests designed to broaden the mind, Nora Monasheri ’23 decided her journey at Binghamton University would be defined by a desire to create opportunities.

“Being a child of immigrants, I’ve always felt you have to search for the opportunities yourself,” Monasheri said. She laughs at that; “Maybe the sentiment sounds a bit cliché.”

But she doesn’t mind. That sentiment is exactly why she keeps a running list of life lessons gained throughout her college experience. It’s a list she also revisits whenever she needs inspiration or wants to add new ideas that might prove useful in the future, such as:

• “If you never leave the nest, you’ll never know how far you can fly.”

• “Connections are invaluable, stay in touch with your networks!”

A first-generation American and college student whose parents immigrated to the U.S. to avoid religious persecution in Iran, Monasheri grew up in the Long Island area. She believes her family background has provided a unique outlook on her work at Binghamton. After earning her undergraduate degree in Finance and Management Information Systems from the School of Management (SOM), Monasheri is completing her Master of Business Administration degree.

“I decided the best way for me to make an impact was to really see what’s happening on campus,” Monasheri said. “There’s always something to get involved in, and I was drawn to SOM specifically because of that.”

That outlook was her catalyst to help create SOM’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging club, as well as mentor first-year management students, serve as a student ambassador, and work to achieve being named a SUNY global affairs scholar. She’s also held leadership roles with Chabad at Binghamton, planning events for three consecutive years like Shabbat 2000, which drew more than 2,000 people.

“Besides learning how to make presentations and all sorts of other valuable professional skills, on a personal note, I just really love dressing up in suits and doing those case competitions,” Monasheri said. “There’s a rush to the business world!”

That rush could easily turn into overwhelming academic or personal pressure. Whenever those anxious moments arrive, Monasheri prefers the pages of fiction novels to a textbook on financial management. She has a job as a Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory Analyst to look forward to after graduation in May, and she’s eager to take her passion for creating opportunities out of Binghamton and into the professional arena.

When not in the classroom, Monasheri’s roles as Student Representative to the Binghamton University Council and a Road Map Intern with University President Harvey Stenger’s office have placed her at the front end of many projects that have contributed to the campus’ growth and the well-being of its students. Monasheri heard about the Road Map Internship from SOM graduate Cara R. Treidel ’16, and when she learned that position wasn’t filled anymore, she scheduled a meeting with Stenger after bumping into him in the Tillman Lobby at The Union on campus.

“One big initiative I’ve worked on has involved establishing more school pride traditions at Binghamton,” she said. That has included planning #ONEBinghamton Madness at the Events Center, which kicked off the men’s and women’s basketball seasons and brought in rap artist Rich the Kid to entertain the crowd.

But it hasn’t always felt like fun and games. After conflict broke out in the Middle East in October, she quickly worked to find ways to promote civil dialogue by keeping close contact with student groups on both ends. Her easygoing personality and willingness to hear different perspectives made her that much easier to talk to.

“People are so quick to make assumptions in these situations, but there are always two sides to any story,” Monasheri said. “As a Persian Jew, I navigate the conflict with a multifaceted perspective, considering multiple angles. This gives me the ability to consider sides of stories that people often overlook.”

When Monasheri helped faculty and University officials organize New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s visit to campus in September, something he said reminded her why she keeps building that list of hers.

“He encouraged us to remember that ‘it all starts here,’” Monasheri said. “It showed that you can really go places and keep building connections.”

In that sense, much like “Dora,” Monasheri’s journey never stops. As she sees it, there’s always something new to explore on the map.