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Nadia
is an exceptionally bright and mature young professional,
making waves in the political lobbying and activism world.
Raised in Southern US, Nadia came to DC to pursue her high
school interest in politics and has succesfully made it
into a career within a very short span of time. She has
led really impactful initiatives with the Pakistan Embassy
in Washington DC and is now working with Van Scoyoc, a
leading congressional lobbyist firm, which boasts the Government
of Pakistan as one of its clients among many other recognizable
names from the corporate and public sectors.
We met with Nadia to learn about her drive for building stronger political
influence for the Pakistani American community. We found her to be a
role model for all young Pakistanis who want to see a brighter future
with greater social recognition for themselves and their peers in this
increasingly intertwined world.
Tell
us about yourself...
I
grew up in the South and am a senior at Georgetown University's
School of Foreign Service. I was always part of the typical
Pakistani-American community where everyone was becoming
a doctor. But since high school I've been really interested
in politics and activism. I wanted to pursue something
in the political arena because I believe that in order
to be a more influential community we need to have a stronger
political presence.
How
did you get a professional start?
It
started with the Pakistan Embassy. I wanted to do something
for Pakistan and I had written to the Embassy asking how
I could help. It took a while and persistent effort to
get an appointment with the DCM. Eventually, I met with
Mr. Sadiq and we discussed different ideas. One of the
assignments he gave me was to analyze what the Embassy
could do for the Pakistani American community. I didn't
really know the answer so I started emailing my friends'
parents asking them questions about what the Embassy could
do for them. My research resulted in a 20-25 page report.
I mailed it to the DCM and then pursued a meeting with
him to review the results. He agreed that there were some
things that the Embassy could do, but recognized others
that they couldn't. A lot of it boiled down to the Embassy
not having enough staff, so I proposed starting an internship
program. The timing was perfect because the Embassy was
moving to the new facility, where the DCM made a big effort
to accommodate the interns. He actually made structural
changes to cut down his office in half and provide space
for interns. The response was amazing-- we got 40 responses
within a 10-day period. And since then, the program has
become one of the best in Washington.
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