Tahrima Khanom

Tahrima is a first-generation American who immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh at the age of 5. She grew up in the vibrant city of Hamtramck, MI and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and served in Uganda for 2 years as a Literacy Specialist. Her proudest achievements in the Peace Corps include co-directing a national conference on corporal punishment and gender-based violence; serving as a facilitator and a lead curriculum development team member at the annual Youth Technical Training Camp; and developing a series of sexual/reproductive health and reusable menstrual pad workshops for teenage girls. Tahrima continued her efforts against gender-based violence domestically and currently works with teenage girls in the foster care system who have suffered severe physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. As a Coverdell Fellow in the Community-Based Initiative Program with a concentration in Management of Human Services, Tahrima hopes to hone her leadership and community organization skills.