From Pakistan To Montco: Local Student, Immigrant Thriving

JENKINTOWN, PA — From the safety and comfort of a quiet college campus in Montgomery County, it can be difficult to imagine the tremendous strife and hardship which some must go through just to have a fair chance in life.

At Jenkintown's Manor College, one of those students is Privish Sadaqat, who was born in Toba Tek Signh, Pakistan.

Privish was recently recognized by the college with an award that recognizes "strength of character and generosity of spirit," and the future possibilities for the biology major are limitless.

But as recently as two years ago, all of that hope seemed like a distant dream.

Privish's father had to leave their Pakistani village back in 2015 and moved to the United States, alone. It wasn't until April 19, 2018 when Privish, her mother, and her three siblings could return to the United States and be reunited with her father. “I was thrilled to see my dad after four years and tears of joy were in my eyes," she said.

Upon arrival in the United States, Privish took advantage of the bounty of opportunity that had not previously been available to her.

"Living in Pakistan was definitely not comfortable, especially for women," she said. "There were not opportunities like education and other rights."

In addition to her most recent character award, she's also been recognized for her academic excellence at the Freshman Excellence Awards ceremony, was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and is a semifinalist for the highly selective Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Privish currently serves as a campus chaplain, and hopes to pursue a career as a doctor or physician's assistant upon graduation.