Tanya is currently at Princeton University as a Fulbright scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School Master of Public Policy and International Affairs programme. She founded the Woodrow Wilson Workers Organisation, aimed at engaging graduates in flexible community service opportunities.

 

In 2006 Tanya won The International Service Award by the Princeton University's International Center, for founding the Organisation which coordinated a relief trip to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Tanya and the organisation also organised a trip to Kashmir, Pakistan, to work with earthquake survivors. She has also co-founded two non-profit organisations in Toronto and used the business background she gained from the University of Waterloo academic and co-op work programmes, as well as her work experience as a financial and management consultant to help her in this process.

 

Tanya believes that her diverse background (herself being Canadian, born in the Middle East, and having an East African father, and Indian mother) has given her the perspective that drives her commitment to international development. She believes that Pearson College was the opportunity that had the greatest impact on shaping her life. She now is strongly committed to increasing opportunity for others, especially those that are in greatest need of assistance.

 

The work that Tanya did at New Orleans changed her profoundly and lead her to working for more projects in humanitarian aid, specifically in the high level co-ordination of emergency relief for displaced people. After initiating a relief trip in Kashmir, Tanya undertook a summer internship working at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva. She talks of her stay in Kashmir ‘as an inspiring experience, but also a very difficult one. It was so hard to see what had happened to these wonderful people. I would share deep pain at the tragedy left by the earthquake with them’.

 

In order to gain more field experience Tanya took a one year out from her Masters. This involved working in Senegal for six months in Emergency Relief through the UN World Food Programme. Her business background played a key role as she worked to improve the logistics model used for planning and distributing food, to people in dire need.

 

Currently, Tania is working in a camp for displaced people in Colombia and will return to Princeton to finish her Masters in September 2008.

 

Tanya believes that bringing business skills and practices to the non-profit sector can increase organisation effectiveness and efficiency.  She also believes that businesses will only improve if they commit to some of the elements of the non-profit realm.