The Pehli Peedi Fellowship is our effort to centre their experiences and bring visibility to the structural barriers they confront. As we bring you the next story, we are also excited to introduce the fellow behind it—Sumaiya Shahid.
Sumaiya Shahid is a 23-year-old postgraduate student in the Department of Political Science at Presidency University, Kolkata. As a first-generation learner and a Muslim woman, Sumaiya is deeply committed to exploring the lived experiences of marginalised communities, with a particular focus on Muslim women. She aspires to pursue a PhD to further this line of research and contribute to more inclusive academic and public discourses. Sumaiya sees the Pehli Peedi Fellowship, as an opportunity to take a meaningful step towards amplifying the voices of first-generation students and deepening her understanding of their social contexts, while also developing as a scholar and researcher.
