York Valedictorian Credits College, Mentors, and Mom for Success

Ngawang Tendrel Samdrup, a standout Information Systems Management major, has been named valedictorian of the York College Class of 2025.

Like many other York students, Samdrup balanced a job alongside his coursework -- a demanding juggling act that helped him grow into a well-rounded individual. His determination paid off, leading him to the top of his class and valuable real-world experience to enhance his résumé.

“Ngawang is a very active and involved student,” said Dr. Abu Kamruzzaman. “He represented York College at an intercollegiate research competition, where his project won an award. His research has even been accepted for publication and will be presented at an international conference. His ‘Prompt Engineering’ research contributed to the development of YorkGPT, a ChatGPT-like tool designed specifically to answer questions about York College. He is also a CIRE (CUNY Immersive Research Experience) scholar, whose work on AI and cybersecurity is helping to propel us into the future.”

Samdrup, the younger of two siblings, is modest about his success. He prefers to shine the light on those who supported him along the way, attributing his accomplishments to their encouragement and guidance. He credits the “unwavering support” of his mother, the mentorship of his mentor, Dr. Abu Kamruzzaman, and the guidance of academic advisor Ms. Yvette M. Simmons, along with the resources provided by York College.

“First and foremost, I’m truly honored to be graduating from York College,” he said. “Being a student here has been an incredible experience that I’ll always cherish.”

In the near term, Samdrup will continue working at his current job while searching for a full-time role in business and data analysis. He is also preparing to begin a summer internship through the CUNY Career Launch program and has an upcoming interview for a position with the Worksite Wellness Data & Reports Management project.

As for graduate school, Samdrup says it’s not in his immediate plans. For now, his focus is on gaining hands-on experience in his academic field.