“When I was 16, I participated in a camp called Seeds of Peace. It convened students from Israel, Palestine, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Jordan, the U.K., and the U.S. I was part of the American/U.K. delegation. As young kids representing our countries, we engaged in daily dialogue on conflicts in South Asia or the Middle East. Talking about a conflict that affects the daily lives of many students at the camp left me pondering the role I have to play as a Muslim-American child of immigrants. I remember one Israeli boy and one Palestinian boy who said to each other, ‘I may never agree with you, but I’ll always take the time to try to understand where you’re coming from.’ The empathy shown throughout @seedsofpeace drove me to become a public servant, so I could work on equitable policies and initiate hard conversations where there are stark differences. Another major influence is my parents, who both immigrated from Karachi when they were young. My dad was 19, and he had to work 3 jobs. He often got ready for work at @mcdonalds after sleeping in his car. My mom was 11 and never finished college so she could financially support her widowed mother and 7 siblings. Despite their struggles, they always made time to serve. Knowing they both sacrificed so much and remained selfless empowered me to pursue a life of service. At @PrincetonSPIA, I’m excited to be representing first-generation students as part of the DEI team to advocate for students like me. When I was at @Princeton for the @ppiaprogramJunior Summer Institute, I fell in love with SPIA, and I already knew then that it was the graduate school for me. This was confirmed when I was an intern at the @statedept’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, where Fatema Sumar MPA ’06 became my mentor. From talking with her and others, I knew SPIA students are grounded in the notion of public service, and I wanted to be part of that passionate community. After graduate school, I hope to develop policies driven from the bottom-up and help those most in need in urban centers here and abroad.” – Nausheen Rajan MPA ’22 JSI ’15.