Student Profile: Sarah Amin Ali

“My long-term interest is to strive to be the best version of myself and empower others to do the same. NPL is already contributing to that by helping me understand myself better.”

A native of Karachi, Pakistan, Sarah Amin Ali, 25, studies full-time in the NPL program. Sarah chose the NPL program for the skill building and career advancement opportunities it offers: “It’s for people looking to progress as managers, leaders, or entrepreneurs in the nonprofit sector…I was looking for a program that would teach me technical skills through experiential learning and NPL does just that.”

When it comes to the community of peers in NPL, Sarah appreciates how willing her fellow students are to share their professional experiences from their work in the sector. She cites the discussion-based courses as a particularly valuable time to share experiences, and encourages incoming students to bring their diverse academic and professional backgrounds to their work in the program. She has been inspired by the valuation of self and of learning that she has seen in her cohort.

After graduation, Sarah plans to work with a nonprofit that uses sports to empower youth in Pakistan. She feels confident to enter this field because of the comprehensive, practical nature of the lessons learned in the program: “NPL does not limit learning to the classroom,” she shares, “the professors and advisors really push you to learn things about yourself that you cannot pick up from a course book.”