I grew up in the bustling city of Karachi, Pakistan. My hometown was simple when I was growing up. The area was safe and charming. My life in Karachi was honestly a lot of fun. As a child, we played in the streets with the neighborhood kids and went to drive-ins. I went to a girl's school and my best friend, since grade one and to this day, is Seema. We made a club with our other five friends called the Secret Seven and always did silly things together. The joyful squeals and cheers of excitement were not unordinary to hear after school when our group met. My family was wonderful, there were six of us all together, always intermingling. Of course, we had our issues, but apart from that we were all happy. Food was an important characteristic of my childhood. The tart, lip smack inducing taste of pomegranate juice contrasted with the sweet cane sugar juice that made our teeth feel as if they were coated in a thick layer of sugar if you drank too much. At home, you could smell the spice in the air as it intoxicated you whilst it flowed throughout my house whenever my mother cooked. When I was younger, all I honestly wanted to be a queen. That’s all I used to talk to my parents about. But I wasn’t. As I grew up all I wanted was to be out of school, get married, and have fun. My life had little stress and was full of love, affection, and freedom.  

I had only ever dated one man, my high school sweetheart, and we got married when we were young. The marriage was not a healthy one and I moved to the United States after my divorce with my husband. I left my son in Pakistan with now ex-husband and took my daughter with me in search of a better life. My community now is very different from my community when I grew up and lived in Pakistan. There is an extremely different culture in the United States, and I had to go through a lot of adjustment to figure out how to survive here. In America there are no cramped and crowded streets filled with so many people that one could easily confuse them with never-ending currents, nor is there the fear that violence could break out any moment from the smallest of triggers. Though I faced many difficulties in moving here, there have been many positives to come out of my relocation. I have stayed true to who I am and have not conformed to who society wants me to be. Living here is different than Pakistan, not necessarily in a bad way, but different none the less. The thing that frustrates me the most here is the judgement that both myself and my fellow Pakistanis face daily. I have been asked what changes I would make if I were president. I really can't give a definite answer as I don’t know what like is like as the president. I enjoy not knowing, there would be too much pressure. One thing I do know for sure that I would try to fix the racism. I don’t like how people discriminate against the color of others skin and how people are. I would give equality to all. That is the issue that matters the most to me, racism. Everyone should be treated the same. No racial, ethnic, or social group is better than any other. This should matter to everyone as we are all affected by it daily, whether it is happening to you or to someone else, it takes a toll on everyone. 

 I have had difficulties in my life, but I have no regrets. I had a terrible marriage, but I still wouldn’t change anything because I have my two beautiful children now. I don’t regret things, I move on and try to change them, but I don’t dwell on whatever’s happened to me. No. I believe that faith plays a very important role in life. Nothing is possible without having faith, and I am here so far because of it. In my darkest of hours, I can feel God’s all-powerful hand on my shoulder, grasping me and leading me where I need to go. I believe that everything happens for a reason. No matter what I have gone through in life, I have endured through it because of my faith. That is how I am here today.