Meet Asad, a TCF alumnus from Old Muzaffarabad Colony, a low-income town in Landhi, Karachi. Asad is a graduate and visiting faculty member of Institute of Business Administration (IBA). He is also a Fulbright U.S. scholar who pursued a Master’s Degree in Business Intelligence and Analytics at the esteemed Stevens Institute of Technology.

The vibrant energy of the room, the thrill of learning something new and the shared laughter with friends – all these memories flood back as I stand among these young faces in the classroom. My heart fills with gratitude and I thank God once again for the privilege of being a visiting faculty member at one of the country’s most prestigious universities, my alma mater, IBA.

I don’t think I would have made it here without TCF’s help. I had turned seven when I first saw TCF’s new school in my neighbourhood Old Muzaffarabad Colony, a low-income town in Landhi, Karachi. Our area was a densely populated one, so I was used to tight spaces but TCF’s school felt larger and more spacious. I ran around in the playground, feeling free for the first time in forever.
I excelled in class as I was given the best and the most compassionate teachers. The standard of education was better than many private schools of the country. The library quenched my thirst for imaginary tales, the playground offered me lasting friendships, and my parents didn’t have to forego their basic needs just to provide me and my brothers with a quality education.

It was TCF’s presence in my life that paved my path to IBA. When my father discovered that his manager’s daughter also studies there, he was speechless and so proud. During my time at IBA, I was also selected for a leadership exchange programme at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.

Not long after, I embarked on an incredible adventure, earning a Fulbright Scholarship that led me to pursue my Master’s in Business Intelligence and Analytics at the esteemed Stevens Institute of Technology in the USA.