Education

University of Pennsylvania | Master of Social Work

University of Pennsylvania | M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership

Mount Holyoke College | B.A., Psychology

Biography

Sayeeda Rashid (they/them) is a social justice advocate, community organizer, and queer, non-binary, South Asian immigrant. As the Director of the Center for GRASE, they develop programs, workshops, and initiatives cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students and femme- and women identified students at Haverford. 

Sayeeda is a loyal advocate for marginalized communities, including Trans and Queer individuals, BIPOC, immigrants, first-generation college students, and survivors of systemic violence and trauma. Their commitment to racial, social, and economic equity took root during their early years as a Bangladeshi, Muslim immigrant from Saudi Arabia and navigating immigration and social systems post-9/11.

They come with more than 10 years of experience across social services, municipal government, and grassroots coalitions working to create equitable change with intersectional, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed frameworks. They served as a Coordinator at the City of Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs, a subdivision of the Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, developing municipal policies, city-wide initiatives, and programs affecting LGBTQ+ communities. Most recently, they also worked as the Resource Director at the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition as well as a Facilitator of the William Ways Community Center’s program, Statewide LGBTQ+ Leadership Calls. 

Sayeeda is a proud first-generation college graduate, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College, and a Master of Social Work and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from University of Pennsylvania.