Lyric Abdul-Rasheed '26, Chemical Engineering

"I've learned at Bucknell that you just need to ask people and they will point to where you need to go."

If you walk into the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in downtown Lewisburg, you'll find plenty of local entrepreneurs' office spaces — but only one student's. "I call it Lyric's Lip Candy Laboratory," says chemical engineering major Lyric Abdul-Rasheed '26. Her lab is equipped with everything one needs to make high-quality lip products, and the SBDC provides the network and support to scale a successful startup.

"When I first came to Bucknell, I didn't think I'd be able to advance my business during school," says the Dover, Del., native. "I'd have to wait until I had a degree to apply anything I learned." But through her collaboration with the SBDC, she obtained status as an LLC and expanded her business at breakneck speed. "I realized my business is just as capable of what I thought it would be in four years right now."

In her chemical engineering classes, Lyric Abdul-Rasheed '26 makes connections to better understand the materials she uses for her business. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

In 2023, Abdul-Rasheed applied for and won a microgrant from Bucknell's Nifty Idea Fund, which helped her buy top-notch ingredients and equipment for her lab. She then presented her products at every opportunity, from the Black Student Union Fashion Show to the SBDC's Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship Showcase and the College of Engineering's Senior Design Expo.

Outside of Bucknell, Abdul-Rasheed took her talents to the National Society for Black Engineers Elevator Pitch Competition, and won. In the spring, she became a semifinalist in Bucknell's annual BizPitch competition and was featured on the cover of Bucknell's alumni magazine. "I'm really glad that I was a semifinalist this year," she says. "I know the next time that I do this pitch, it is going to be a million times better because of the judges' feedback and all the people at the SBDC helping me."

The highlight of her Bucknell experience: the ability to integrate her business into her academics. "Incorporating my true passion into my academic pursuits made college more enjoyable, and has improved my academic performance," she says. In her classes, Abdul-Rasheed makes connections to better understand the materials she works with. "Whenever we were talking about viscosity in fluid mechanics, I translated it into lip gloss in my head," she says. "If I wanted to, I could calculate how fast the lip gloss comes out of the machine I use."

Her professors have also encouraged her unique interest in cosmetics chemical engineering. This fall, Professor Brandon Vogel, chemical engineering, will facilitate Abdul-Rasheed's independent study course examining natural forms of SPF, which will advance her product formulas.

Lyric Abdul-Rasheed '26 has presented her products at every opportunity, from the Black Student Union Fashion Show to the Freeman College of Management's Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship Showcase and the College of Engineering's Senior Design Expo. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

For now, Abdul-Rasheed is using her summer break to get a head start on research, test new formulas and share her products at vendor events. "I love the experimentation process," she says. "Even though sometimes they do fail, I learn something from it." Past experiments have yielded lip oils, lip scrubs and new pigments in her lip gloss collection. She hopes to develop additional lip products, develop skincare products and integrate natural SPF from her research.

Abdul-Rasheed is excited to see how much more she can accomplish in her coming years at Bucknell. Soon, her endeavors will broaden to include a mentorship program aimed at inspiring children. "My best piece of advice is that you are your best advocate," she says. "I've learned at Bucknell that you just need to ask people and they will point to where you need to go."