Brookfield Resident Wins Distinguished Student Award At WCSU

BROOKFIELD, CT — An aspiring cardiac surgeon from Brookfield has been named one of two recipients of the 2024 Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award by Western Connecticut State University.

A Kathwari Honors Student from Brookfield, Ezaan Khan will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with minors in chemistry and mathematics, a GPA of 3.94, and the distinction of being named a Barnard Award winner, according to a WCSU news release.

Khan was on the SGA Executive Board since his freshman year, rising to Chief Justice/Parliamentarian — a position he leveraged to advocate on behalf of the Biology Department specifically and the university in general to seek additional funding from the Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee of the Connecticut General Assembly. He’s also been involved in the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Standards, and the Board of Regents Student Advisory Committee.

Khan served as president of the MSA in 2022-23, as treasurer of Honors Students of Compassion in 2022-23, as an orientation leader for the Center for Student Involvement in 2022-23, and as a Math Clinic tutor in 2022. He founded and created a Room of Reflection for WCSU students in search of a dedicated space for worship or meditation with the help of the Office of Intercultural Affairs. His intense involvement on campus does not preclude his presence in the community. He volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician at the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company, and works as an EMT for Nuvance Health at Danbury Hospital. He also volunteers at his local mosque, Baitul Mukarram, as a religious teacher, assistant youth director and mentor to children aged 6-16.

Khan received the Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy (Spanish/English) in 2021, and accepted the Diversity Student Organization of the Year as president of the MSA in 2022. He received the Nuvance Health Bravo Award for Dedication to Emergency Medical Services in 2023 and earned Advanced Senior Research Distinction in Biology in 2024. He participated in research in the laboratories of several WCSU Biology faculty members, which prepared him for his summer 2023 research assistant duties at UNC.

"I feel privileged yet humbled for being recognized with the Barnard award," Khan said. "I want to thank first and foremost Allah (SWT) for without His help, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this. I also want to thank my parents and siblings for their continuous support through my arduous college journey. Finally, I want to thank my close friends in the SGA and MSA for seeing my potential and helping me attain it to the fullest."