Laila Hasben

Academic Interests

Computer Science & Economics

Fun Fact

Fun fact: I ran track for 4 years and went to state 3 years as well.

Hi I am Laila Hasben, and I’m a student at Duke University where I am pursuing Computer Science and Economics. I have always been interested in technology and had the chance to work in it already through the internship at VMware and Atlassian, working on projects of different types, starting with React applications and ending with User Interface Projects.

I have always been a fan of leadership and helping people to be provided with a good opportunity outside of the classroom. I once mentored young women of color in STEM using the VISION 2024 program with Lead Legacy and shared my story with Big Brothers Big Sisters in order to promote youth mentorship. I am a person who values service as well being so I have volunteered in places such as Cradles to Crayons, the Philadelphia Zoo Autism Awareness program and Thanksgiving food drives to help serve families back in Philadelphia. I feel that it is equally important to give back to the community I live in as it is to any professional success.

I enjoy working in groups and person to person collaboration to continue to learn. As a Vice President of Student Government, as a captain of my track team in the varsity team, or as a barista at Starbucks, I have found that it is so important to jump in and meet people, be flexible and fill the air with good energy when I walk in a room. In the future, I am looking forward to continuing to develop as a person and hope to use technology to empower underserved communities and produce more inclusive opportunities. I am also excited to use my technical expertise and leadership experiences, and passion to serve people to leave a lasting impression.

What do you like about being a SPIRE Fellow?

I haven’t been a SPIRE fellow for long, but there are some things that I do look forward to experiencing as a SPIRE fellow. Community is something that is hard to come by especially in a new place which is what Duke is to me. However, SPIRE gives me an opportunity to have a community of like-minded individuals who can support one another. No one person can be successful without community in my opinion, and SPIRE will open a door to that community that I’ve been continuously seeking. While there are many things that I’m sure SPIRE will bring, the biggest would be community.