Rashid, a senior in political science, will be attending Brown University to continue her journey in human rights work

Narmeen Rashid
By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - May 14, 2025
By the time Narmeen Rashid reached college, she had already lived in four countries across three continents. Born in Portland to Pakistani parents, Rashid spent her formative years following her father’s assignments with Intel Corporation to New Mexico, Israel, China, and Pakistan. That global upbringing, she says, shaped her, not only as a traveler, but as a person—curious, compassionate, and determined to make an impact.
“It made me more open-minded,” she said. “You see so many different communities and so many different ways of living. I think that’s what inspired me to want to do hands-on work—helping the people I’ve seen who don’t have as much as I do, especially in Pakistan, to give back to where I came from and my family.”
It’s a throughline that has guided her path at Oregon State University, where she transferred to from the University of Oregon, after initially being a biology major with dreams of becoming a doctor. After taking an international politics class with Dr. Michael Trevathan at the School of Public Policy, Rashid pivoted , to becoming a political science major (with an economics minor). Dr. Trevathan’s class felt less like a requirement and more like a revelation.
“It literally took me two classes,” she laughed. “It was like a switch flipped in my brain. I just thought—this is so fun. This is what I want to do forever.”
Rashid became lab manager for Trevathan’s Global Political Research Lab, helping lead a project examining representation in environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO). The findings were frustrating but not surprising: “Even in Southeast Asia or Africa, the advisory boards of these NGOs were mostly made up of men. There just weren’t enough women represented.”
That experience cemented her desire to pursue advocacy, but it wasn’t just academic. Rashid also saw gaps in the community on campus, especially for Muslim and Pakistani students. She grew up surrounded by a tight-knit Muslim community in Portland, but in college, the same environment was harder to find. Instead, throughout her four years at OSU, Rashid created those same inclusive spaces, fostering equitable communities and organizations that will continue long after she graduates.
“I didn’t realize how much that mattered to me until it was gone,” she said. “My parents made sure I had people around me who shared my culture. So in college, I’ve tried to create those spaces for others too.”
As President of the Muslim Student Association, Rashid did exactly that—building a community where students could share their thoughts, celebrate their faith, or just feel at ease. She also served as an ASOSU senator and now leads as the Diversity and Inclusion Director, programming events and supporting marginalized student communities across campus. Her initiatives often center student voices—whether by advocating for international student fee reform or pushing back on administrative decisions that could hinder diversity work.
When modesty concerns kept some women from using the pool at Dixon Rec Center, Rashid started a Hijabi swim night. She also co-founded the now-popular International Communi-Tea Hour, a weekly event that draws dozens of students for snacks, games, and low-key conversations.
“By week four or five, students were running it themselves—playing games, talking, laughing,” she said. “It was just really beautiful to watch a community grow.”
At the same time, Rashid serves on both the President’s Council on Leadership and Excellence and the Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom Council—spaces where she acknowledges the challenge of representing diverse perspectives as just one person.
“But even if I can bring a little bit of what students are going through, that helps,” she said. “It’s about showing up and making sure someone is in the room.”
This fall, Rashid will take the next step in her journey at Brown University. The graduate program, she said, offers the kind of hands-on learning that excites her most, especially the opportunity to design and implement real policy in collaboration with community partners.
Eventually, Rashid hopes to return to Pakistan and work in human rights, supporting underserved populations and continuing the kind of advocacy that’s become second nature to her.
“I think impact isn’t always big and flashy,” she said. “If I can help even one person live a better life, that’s enough. That’s the legacy I want—to make my parents proud, to give back, and to leave the world just a little bit better than I found it.”
“I’ve learned that building spaces—where people feel safe, where they feel seen—that’s real leadership,” Rashid said. “And it’s what I’ll keep doing, wherever I go.”