Nashmia Aamir is a 2022 graduate of the University of Waterloo, where she earned her degree in International Development. Originally from Pakistan and having spent much of her life in Saudi Arabia, she relocated to Waterloo in 2018 to begin her post-secondary education. Nashmia is currently pursuing a master’s in international public policy.

During her undergraduate degree, she completed an independent 8-month research project as part of her honours thesis. She utilized her research skills by gathering and reviewing data in relation to the topic of Government Corruption, Gendered Water Distribution, and Women’s Rights in Orangi Town, Pakistan. Her research interests stem from personal experience living in South Asia and the Middle East. Her experience living in those areas was nothing short of a challenge, with each situation offering unique insights that have shaped her perspective. From censorship to lack of freedom to waking up to missiles being intercepted, her journey so far has led her to want an academic and professional journey in policymaking and development.

Through studying International Development, she spent her undergraduate career learning about effective leadership and thinking critically about problems that exist in our world and vigorously finding appropriate solutions for them. Nashmia’s interest in community development led her to become a leader on and off campus as she spent her time divided between coursework and community development.

In her time away from academia, Nashmia gained professional experience working for campus life at the University of Waterloo. She took on roles in orientation where she worked on administration coordination, merchandise ordering, First Aid training administration, volunteer appreciation, and customer service. She moved on to working with and managing the student-run services where she found success in building relationships and efficiency within the services.