Two summers ago, an encounter with an Afghan family left a lasting impression on Farzan Hussainzada ’25. A native of Afghanistan himself, the intern with an immigration justice organization was tabling at an information session in California’s Bay Area when he met a couple with two young children. They had lived in the United States for several years and were seeking legal aid to bring their parents to safety. Hussainzada stepped in to translate, helping them communicate with a pro bono attorney.

At the end of the conversation, the woman turned to him. “I hope my son grows up to be like you,” she said.

“I got very emotional,” Hussainzada remembered. “It was so unexpected to have someone look up to me like that. It lit a fire in me. My direction became clear. I knew that despite all the challenges I may face, I want to go to law school and become an immigration attorney.”

In support of these ambitions, Hussainzada was awarded this year’s Class of 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award, a $15,000 fellowship administered by the Einhorn Center.

Hussainzada’s interest in immigration was first sparked after he arrived at Cornell in 2021, just days after boarding the last civilian flight out of Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover. As a global development major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he explored a wide array of disciplines and quickly gravitated toward immigration issues — not least, he said, “because as an international student coming to the United States, I could relate to their experience.”

That fascination deepened when Hussainzada — who is also minoring in law and society and policy analysis and management — spent a semester in Washington, D.C. through the Cornell in Washington program. As an intern with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Hussainzada helped American military service members reunite with their families, often foreign nationals navigating complex legal hurdles. His favorite part was making calls to clients once a pro bono lawyer had agreed to take their case. “It was very satisfying to hear how happy they were,” he said.

Through AILA, Hussainzada learned about Project ANAR. The following summer, he interned with the Afghan-led immigration justice organization in San Francisco, where his tasks included drafting declarations and memos, communicating with clients, assisting immigration attorneys with filing cases with the immigration court and translating and interpreting when needed.

“Even though I left Afghanistan around the same time as most Afghan immigrants in 2021, I realized I was in a place of privilege,” he said. “Most of the clients I worked with were highly accomplished — doctors, engineers, translators — and here I was, a student, trying to help them get through this system. I found these opportunities because I was at Cornell, and it let me be in a place where I could help others.”

Back on campus, Hussainzada continued his legal exploration through coursework and an internship with the Schuyler County Public Defender Office. There, he conducted legal research, drafted memos and observed courtroom proceedings. He became particularly interested in how immigration status affects treatment within the criminal justice system.

“Being an undocumented immigrant makes everything much harder,” he said. “Even something as small as a traffic stop can lead to deportation or detention. This experience gave me a new perspective and solidified my plan to go into law.”

At Cornell, Hussainzada has also been deeply involved in the international student community. He took a leadership role in the International Students Association and co-founded the Organization for Afghan Students(OFAS), serving as its president. Under his leadership, OFAS celebrated his country’s rich culture while also fostering community and collaboration — including co-hosting a Nowruz celebration with other student groups at Cornell. 

“Through moments like our Nowruz collaboration, I learned that the most impactful role I could play was not as the main actor but as a bridge and facilitator,” he said. “True leadership is about serving others, and I find purpose in helping my community thrive.”

His mentors have taken notice. “Farzan is simply exceptional,” said Gabrielle Smith ’04, assistant director of student success programs and program innovation within the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives (OADI) and Hussainzada’s advisor through OADI’s Pre Professional Programs (P3). “Through his experiences, he has developed a maturity, strength, resourcefulness and drive that are beyond his years.”

Hussainzada plans to gain additional work experience in the legal field before applying to law school later this year. “I have a long way ahead of me, but I’m looking forward to what comes next,” he said. “I’m grateful for this fellowship’s help along this path.”.

The JFK Award was established by the Class of 1964 in their senior year and is awarded annually to a graduating Cornell senior pursuing a service career.

This year, two finalists also received $500 honoraria to support their service efforts. Molly Goldstein ’25 hopes to pursue a career focused on environmental peacemaking, while Andrew Juan ’25 will spend two years as a caseworker for the Tompkins County Department of Social Services before pursuing an MD/PhD in sociology and public policy.