Throughout her academic journey, Areeba Khan, AS22, has participated in many Biden Institute programs and courses that have not only directed her educational steps, but helped her find confidence to follow her dreams.  During one of the Biden Institute’s Women of Power and Purpose Initiative events, featuring four of the most influential women in politics—Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Minyon Moore and the Reverend Leah Daughtry – Khan found her voice. As the women shared insight and advice from their book, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics,” Khan was inspired to seek their guidance.

“I asked for advice for a Muslim woman who is considering politics, knowing the barriers facing women wearing a hijab,” Khan remembered. “They told me to persist, keep fighting for what I want and said that all women of color and of different faiths have challenges, but you have to work to overcome them remembering that people love you and want you to succeed. It was so inspiring and helped me realize no one should stop me from realizing my dreams.”

Since then, Khan has taken a nonprofit management course, explored economics classes, attended policy dinners with well-known national figures and found a new passion for public health initiatives. The array of courses and offerings developed her interests in areas like immigration, the opioid epidemic, elections, foreign affairs and more, all impacted by the influential, national figures who helped lead courses. The experiences led her to add public policy and public health as minors to her international relations major, further focusing her path beyond UD.

One of her most transformational adventures has been participating in the donor-supported Semester in Washington D.C. program, taking classes, living in D.C. and interning with Delaware Senator Chris Coons.

“The semester was the most amazing experience of my life—working the foreign relations team, helping write pieces and working on quick research,” Khan said. “It was really hands-on, fast-paced, and I worked with highly experienced, highly qualified people with elite backgrounds, but they were all willing to help me. One of the really cool experiences was the day I shadowed Senator Coons. I followed him the entire day and was able to sit in on really high profile meetings, even meeting the king of Jordan.”

While the Biden Institute opened many new areas of study and interest to Khan, it also reminded her that she may not have to choose just one path for her time beyond UD.

“Every class I took, I could see myself working in that area—immigration, foreign affairs, public health—and public policy studies complement so many majors,” Khan said. “The Biden Institute offers so many broad areas and helps remind me that I shouldn’t limit myself to one thing because then I would miss out on so much.”