Like many Guttman students, Reshma Jaigobin’s first solo trip to Manhattan was also their first time visiting Guttman Community College. A first-generation college student, they hadn’t given higher education much thought — a surprising point, considering the confident higher education professional they’ve become, someone who speaks with a rare blend of reflection and decisiveness. That original trip 11 years ago made all the difference — not only for Reshma but also for the college students and colleagues they’ve supported in student leadership development.
“I try to carry myself with professionalism, and that began at Guttman. For example, learning how to write an email to a professor with context in the subject line, expressing clearly what my needs are. I remember those kinds of small things from my LABSS class with Amalia Orman [former student success advocate],” they said.
“I learned from people like Danielle Insalaco-Egan [former assistant dean for student support] to pay attention to who I was and how I show up. Manny Lopez [former director of leadership and success] was kind of like a parent to me. These people helped me understand that we are the ones who write our own stories. We take ownership of our lives. These are lessons I’ve taken into my professional life, and they are things I try to impart to my students.”
In their current role as student development and leadership coordinator at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS), Reshma focuses on creating meaningful, value-added programs for students — most of whom are full-time working adults with children pursuing degrees. In the past two years, Reshma created the CUNY SPS Change Warriors Program, an initiative that develops leadership skills while instilling a lifelong commitment to volunteering.
“If they want to participate, students can volunteer at three different tiers according to their time and interest — and amazingly, they do!” Reshma noted. Visionary Voices, a program Reshma designed this year, offers academic enrichment and leadership development for graduate students. Selected participants engage in high-level research, interdisciplinary dialogue, and contribute meaningful insights to the CUNY SPS community. By including cultural awareness and ADA compliance training in preparation for presentations, students learn to make their research accessible to wider audiences.
“This month, four program participants presented at the 2025 SPS Student Leadership Conference on topics exploring ‘The Future of Artificial Intelligence.’ I was so proud of them!”
Reshma’s interests in service and leadership echo their experiences as an Urban Studies major at Guttman, where they served as secretary of the Student Government Association and volunteered during Community Days.
“Guttman was good with opportunities for civic engagement,” they recalled. “I remember Community Days as a time to give back. I read to children on one of them and on another, volunteered at God’s Love We Deliver. It was such an inclusive place, so I continued. I still do it.”
After graduating from Guttman, Reshma transferred to Queens College, where they majored in sociology.
“Studying sociology made me a better version of myself. It taught me to cultivate relationships with people who hold different perspectives, to have empathy. I’m passionate about urban development in ways that address social inequity and challenge systemic oppression,” they said.
In 2020, Reshma completed an M.S. in higher education administration at Baruch College while working in student development roles. Their curiosity drives their enduring interest in leadership, particularly from a global perspective. They are now pursuing this inquiry through M.B.A. studies.
“Relational leadership — leadership that is built on trust — is important to me,” they said. “At this time, it’s critical to ask, ‘How do leaders negotiate differences across cultures and execute transactions that honor relationships?’ This political moment also offers us the opportunity to develop a global mindset in our actions and decision-making.”
Between a busy career, graduate studies, and ongoing service, Reshma still makes time for solitude — something you won’t find on their impressive LinkedIn profile. A 10-day silent meditation retreat, solo hikes in the mountains, travel with their partner — these experiences fuel their outlook and inform their work.
“In a world that often measures value by what we own or achieve, it’s powerful to remember that our humanity — our ability to care, to connect, to show up for one another — is the most generous gift we can offer,” they said.
