Wareesha Tariq Email & Phone Number

Growing up in Pakistan, I had a very idealistic view of my future. I was going to grow up, become a lawyer, and solve all of Pakistan’s legal and corruption issues. Unfortunately, when my parents got the opportunity to move to United States, they did not take my idealistic teenage dreams into account. I remember being upset all throughout high school but no amount of tantrums made my parents return our family to Pakistan. By the time I started at college, fortunately my teenage anguish had gone down and I was ready to take on the challenge of an American life. While at Penn State I worked towards my bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Arabic. On the non-academic side, I spent every day participating in some type of extracurricular activity. Whether it was writing policies as the Academic Affairs Director for the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG) or giving tours to prospective students as a Lion Ambassador, I tried my best to leave a positive legacy before I left this phase behind. After graduating on this high note, I started my career in Higher Education and I first worked in PA, then moved to New Jersey to try working in different types of higher education institutions. After a few years of trying various higher ed departments, I realized that the pace of work in higher ed was just not challenging enough for me and I wanted to try a new industry. Once I got a master’s degree in Policy from University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, I set my sights on the nation’s capital to find work in the federal government. I am happy to report that I love my career in the federal government and I immensely enjoy working as a Community Planning and Development Specialist on the Disaster Recovery and Special Issues (DRSI) division of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.I am excited to continue my service and to make a difference in offices and departments that help alleviate challenges facing the American public every day. The joy I get from public service is unlike any other and I hope to continue bringing this energy and positivity moving forward. If any of these ideas resonate with you, please reach out and connect with me!

Listed skills include Leadership, Public Speaking, Event Planning, Social Media, and 37 others.