Women’s Network Scholar: Malaika Perkins ’26

This first-year, first-generation student was drawn to Rochester’s mission: to make the world ever better

Malaika Perkins ’26

Malaika Perkins—a first-generation, first-year student at Rochester and the Women’s Network’s third-ever scholarship recipient—has always loved learning. In her first year of high school, she signed up for Chinese because she thought it sounded interesting. In her senior year, she became captain of her debate team and was even her region’s runner-up debater of the year in 2022. In the summer before starting college, Perkins interned with the Economics Awareness Council of Chicago, an opportunity she sought out for herself.

Perkins is also a self-described bookworm. When she was younger, she soaked up Nancy Drew books. She’d often lose track of time in the library, too, sometimes hiding books on the shelves with the pages marked so she could return to them the next day. Her mother recognized her middle child’s academic inclination and nurtured it. She even moved the family from Chicago to a suburb when Perkins was seven years old so that she and her siblings could have more access to and opportunities for academic success.

“Elementary school was tough,” says Perkins. “The teachers and students were mostly white, and I was almost always the only Black person in the room. Often, people were surprised I was as smart as I was.”

In high school, Perkins joined the Schuler Scholar program, which provides a dedicated support team and free resources to high-achieving underrepresented, first-generation students and helps prepare them for college success.

Finding Rochester

When it came time to find a college, Perkins wanted to go where she could excel academically while feeling supported as a person of color. She heard about Rochester from her Schuler Scholar program advisor. “I was drawn to Rochester’s open curriculum and the variety of support available, for instance, through the Office of Minority Students Affairs [OMSA],” she says. “Rochester’s commitment to Meliora and making the world ‘ever better’ also resonated with me and aligned with my values.”

Right now, Perkins plans to major in economics. She’s particularly interested in the relationship between economics, philosophy, and political science. She wants to use her degree to make her communities stronger, especially underrepresented ones. “Someday, I imagine going back to Chicago, not as a financial advisor at a big firm working with wealthy clients, but at a not-for-profit that serves people from the kinds of neighborhoods I grew up in,” she adds.

Her college experience

At Rochester, Perkins is discovering new academic areas of interest, too, for instance, she’s learning American Sign Language, which she thinks she’ll minor in. When she’s not in class, Perkins is likely in one of the River Campus study areas or working through assignments in the Barbara J. Burger iZone, where she enjoys collaborating with friends.

Perkins wakes early (especially for a college student), often before 8 a.m. so she can attend an in-person or virtual Koru mindfulness session before classes. Then, throughout the day, Perkins goes to classes and visits her professors during their office hours. “They have all been so willing to further explain concepts and share their knowledge,” she says. “I love that I am making connections with them.”

Perkins has participated in a variety of student groups, too, including the Financial Consulting Club, the ASL Club, and the on-campus Christian fellowship. The Black Students Union has also been a great source of support, as has her OMSA advisor, who happens to be from Chicago.

During her first week on campus, Perkins attended an event to introduce students to Black River Campus staff. That’s when she met Zachary Brown, a post-doctoral fellow with joint appointments at the Warner School and the Frederick Douglass Institute for African and African American Studies. “Professor Brown researches and teaches about building an inclusive environment,” she says. “For instance, his classes explore important topics such as critical race theory, an area I am particularly interested in.”

Aspirations and gratitude

During her college years, Perkins aspires to get an internship every summer. She wants to study abroad, too, and has found an ASL program in France for next spring that she’s eyeing. Although she’s taking in every opportunity she can, she does miss home—especially her 10-year old black lab, Sheba. “Luckily though, every week, therapy dogs come to campus through the Paws for Stress Relief program,” she adds. “I just love that.”

Perkins is honored to be the Women’s Network’s third-ever scholarship recipient. “It feels good to be supported by alumni whose experiences here prompted them to invest in students like me,” she says. “I’m very thankful.”

Photo: Matt Wittmeyer

Learn about the Women’s Network’s first two scholars: Raina Plaisir ’25 and Angelica Persaud ’25.