Aleeza Ali Fairfax, Virginia

Aleeza Ali was born in Washington D.C. and raised with a strong passion for politics, service, and diplomacy. She is currently a B.A. candidate at George Mason University, studying Global Affairs and Conflict Resolution. While at George Mason, Aleeza has served as a Peacebuilding Fellow at the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Through her coursework and strong connection with Pakistan, and more broadly South Asia, Aleeza also served as an Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, working specifically with the 6th committee. Her interests include cross-cultural diplomacy, international development, education and gender equality.  Aside from her work and school, Aleeza is an art enthusiast and avid reader. Having been apart of APF for the past two years, Aleeza is excited to continue to serve the organization as an APF fellow in Islamabad, where she hopes to combine her school and professional experience while working with NRSP.

Sawera Hussan Newington, CT

Sawera Hussan is an undergraduate student at the University of Connecticut studying Political Science and Human Rights. She has been a Correspondent Intern for the American Pakistan Foundation since 2017. She is also the Outreach Intern for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. She seeks to protect the civil liberties and advocate for the Muslim-American community. As an American-Pakistani, she firmly believes that it is not only her moral obligation but her civic duty to exercise her privilege in assisting marginalized communities throughout the provinces of Pakistan.

 

Furthermore, she serves as the Vice President of the Muslim Students Association, an Undergraduate Student Government Senator, the Chairwoman of the Student Development Committee on the Undergraduate Student Government, and the Program Coordinator for Salaam, a program aiming to eradicate islamophobia and xenophobia. Sawera understands the amount of effort and dedication it takes to effect change in a developing country, and would like to sincerely thank the APF Fellowship Program for providing her the opportunity to actively engage in creating socioeconomic change in Pakistan.

	Uzair Iqbal San Antonio, Texas

Uzair Iqbal helps businesses and apartment residents recycle effectively as a Recycling Coordinator for the City of San Antonio.  Through the City's ReWorksSA Recycling Certification,  he helps businesses get recognized for their best recycling practices. He can be found online  talking about different elements of successful recycling programs in videos throughout  ReWorksSA.org. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from  Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), he was a Student Advisor for the Muslim Student  Association. During that role he helped initiate the Muslim Awareness Project. As an International Ambassador, he also mentored international students studying at FGCU through exchange programs.

Uzair was actively engaged in sustainability on his campus through his role as the Director of  Sustainability in Student Government for two years. During this role, he was awarded the  Student Government Cabinet Member of the Year (2015) for Excellence in Leadership and  Involvement. He has traveled throughout the United States and Dominican Republic being  actively engaged in mining, renewable energy, and environmental justice issues. Outside of  work, he can be found playing basketball and cricket weekly and forcing his family to recycle.

Samar Shahid Boston, MA

Samar Shahid recently graduated from Harvard Medical School with a Master of Bioethics degree. During graduate school, she collaborated with Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) for her Capstone Project, which entailed creating easily accessible educational tools for Institutional Review Board members to aid in upholding the highest ethical standards in research. Previously, Samar was a lead Clinical Research Coordinator for the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, where she conducted National Institutes of Health (NIH) research studies involving vulnerable populations. Prior to her career as a health professional, Samar received her BS in Biology with a minor in Sociology, from the University at Albany. During her undergraduate studies, Samar had the opportunity to study abroad in China, where she researched Tui Na (Traditional Chinese Medicine) at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. While in China, Samar also served children, elderly and disabled populations in impoverished areas. Samar's passion for social justice and global health stems from her aspiration to promote opportunities that reduce inequalities and health inequities.

	Saira Shakeel El Sobrante, CA

Saira Shakeel is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, where she studied pre-health and majored in South and Southeast Asian Studies. She is interested in pursuing optometry and is working on applying to the graduate program this year. During her undergrad, she was heavily involved in local service organizations such as The Berkeley Project, which aims to bridge the gap between the university and surrounding city by organizing large-scale service events. Thousands of volunteers would offer a day of service at many local community gardens, senior homes, and other locations. Saira was also involved with Project Vision, a student-run organization that provides free vision care referrals to local underserved communities in need. This includes free eye exams, glasses, and eye disease treatments. Saira was also the Director of Vision Education, where she planned events at the Children's Hospital to teach young patients about vision through a series of educational and fun games and activities. She has been involved with a lot of local projects but has always dreamed of expanding the scope of her service and having it reach the global level. The APF Fellowship will be the perfect opportunity for her to do just that.

Saira was born and raised in California, but has a strong connection to her roots in Pakistan. It has been one of her favorite places to visit but she has noticed, first-hand, some of the socioeconomic issues that are prevalent in communities there. She hopes that with a higher level of education and experience, she can give back to such communities to make a positive and meaningful impact.

Akber Sheikh Fresno, CA

Akber Sheikh is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelors in Molecular and Cell Biology - Neurobiology and South Asian Studies. During his undergraduate career, he accumulated a wide array of research, laboratory, clinical, and public health experiences. He has a personal connection to the larger Indian subcontinent and is deeply invested in rural and youth empowerment, human rights, education, social justice, cultural issues, and health education. He aspires to pursue medicine and become more actively involved with global public health initiatives and rural development projects. Through the APF Fellowship, he hopes to see how people are tackling social issues on the ground in Pakistan, and hopes to work to learn from and improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of NRSP's initiatives.