University Magazine

Kafaya Quadri

Kafaya Quadri, a tenacious and hardworking first-generation American whose parents are both from Nigeria, graduated with honors as part of our inaugural freshman class of 2020. Her actions while working in campus orientation shout, “carpe diem,” which translates to “seize the day.” This has been her manta since the day she and her dad toured Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-San Antonio) in 2016.

A graduate from John Paul Stevens High School, Kafaya was determined to attend college, despite what others were telling her. “I was told I was not college material,” Kafaya explains. “This pushed me to do more than what people were telling me.” Although Kafaya did not feel prepared for college, her fortitude and perseverance drove her to excel in her academic studies. She credits her success to dance training, which taught her the value of hard work and how to work with people. She took those dance skills and helped establish the first Jaguar dance team on campus.

Her passion for minority education pushed her to several leadership positions on the campus of A&M-San Antonio, where she advocated for students to push through the barriers to success. Kafaya says, “This degree changed my life. I did not allow anyone to define what I could do.” As a member of the President’s Leadership Class, she was a common face at the local MLK, Pride and Cesar Chavez marches, pressing for positive change. 

The kinesiology major is aspiring to be a physical therapist. Kafaya seized every opportunity academically by dedicating herself to long hours of studying and hundreds of hours shadowing professional physical therapists. Mentored by Dr. John Smith, Health and Kinesiology faculty member, she became an avid researcher in the field of sports medicine. She, along with Dr. Smith and two classmates, presented their research at the Texas American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Waco, Texas. Their research was published in the International Journal of Exercise Science in March 2020.

Kafaya desires to use her influence to help others reach their goals. “Anyone can be a success story when surrounded by positive messages,” Kafaya says. When asked one thing that stands out to her about A&M-San Antonio, she says, “It’s a place where you can find resilience because of the diverse experiences. I appreciate this University so much because it helped me gain confidence through all of the opportunities it gave me. I don’t think students at other universities have the opportunities that I have been able to experience here.” Kafaya has definitely “seized the day” at A&M-San Antonio, which is, as she says, “a place to call home.”