awards and honors
International Awards & Honors
Sonatina and Sonata International Piano Competition
Saherish performed in the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York, NY as a finalist for the Sonatina and Sonata International Piano Competition three times (December 2012, November 2014, and September 2016).
Destination Imagination Global Qualifier
Saherish, with her team of six other friends, competed at the Destination Imagination Global Finals in Knoxville, TN in 2011 and 2012 in Challenge A.
National Awards & Honors
2017 Coca Cola Scholar
Out of 86,000 applicants, 150 students were chosen to attend the Coca Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta, GA in April 2017 and were awarded with a $20,000 scholarship.
Forbes Under 30 Scholar: Create 2017
Presidential Gold Service Award Recipient 2012-2017
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
Saherish was invited and attended the Disney Dreamer's Academy in Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL which was a week long conference and awards banquet in March 2016.
Disney Friends for Change & YSA Grant Award Recipient
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
Saherish was awarded a grant to host a project of change on Global Youth Service Day 2015. The project included helping children get active through fun activities and a zumba dance, while also teaching them about diabetes and obesity through a puppet show and original 3D movie.
National Child Awareness Month Ambassador to Washington, D.C.
Disney Dreamer's Academy Award with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine
National Child Awareness Month Ambassador to Washington, D.C.
YSA (Youth Service of America) and FOCF (Festival of Children's Foundation) chose one ambassador to represent each state at a week long conference and workshop in Washington, D.C. in September 2015. Saherish was chosen as the sole ambassador to represent the state of Texas.
ABC & YSA Summer of Creativity Award Recipient
National Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Ambassador
National Hispanic Institute Mock Trial Competitor
National Association of Student Councils National Gold Council of Excellence Award 2016 and 2017
UNIVERSITY LEVEL Awards & Honors
Tufts University Presidential Award for Civic Life
The Presidential Award for Civic Life is the highest recognition for service, leadership, and civic engagement conferred by Tufts University.
Tufts University Alumni Association Senior Award
Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize
Marshall Hochhauser Prize
Summa Cum Laude Latin Honors & Thesis High Honors
Honos Civicus & Psi Chi Honor Societies
State Awards & Honors
Micheal & Susan Dell Foundation: Rising Star Finalist
National History Day State Qualifier: Group Documentary
The documentary was entitled Malala Yousafzai: The Girl Who Stood Up for Her Education and won first place at regionals at Texas A&M University Kingsville in the Spring of 2014.
Destination Imagination State Finalist
1st Place at Regionals for Challenge A from 2007-2010 and 2011-2013.
1st Place at Regionals for Challenge Xtreme from 2013-2014.
Mock Trial State Qualifier
After earning 1st place at regionals, the Carroll High School Mock Trial Team advanced to state in March 2015. Saherish was one of three attorneys that led the team.
Texas Association of Student Councils Sweepstakes Award
Under Saherish's presidency from 2015-2017, the Veterans Memorial High School Student Council earning the Outstanding Energy & Environment Award, the Outstanding Pride & Patriotism Award, the Outstanding DASH (Drug, Alcohol, Safety, Health) Award, the Outstanding Community Service Award, and the Top 10 Video award both years.
Texas Music Teacher's Association Gold Whitlock Music Theory Award 2010-2017
Local Awards & Honors
Vice-Chairperson for the City Council Human Relations Commission
Saherish was appointed to the Corpus Christi City Council's Human Relations Commission in 2014 and was voted Vice Chairperson in 2015. She served as Vice Chair from June 2015-2017 as the nation's youngest to this position.
The Bend Magazine: Student Who Shines 2016
The Beach 96.5 Hometown Hero 2016
James Ragan Youth Leadership Award 2016
Driscoll Children's Hospital: Clara Driscoll Award & Scholarship
Mayor's Council for Veteran's Affairs Scholarship & Recognition
Caller Times Newspaper: Distinguished Scholar for Leadership and Service 2016
Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award Recipient and Chapter Scholarship Winner
Experience
London Strategic Consulting- London, United Kingdom
October 2021 - August 2022 | Bloomsbury Knowledge Group (BKG) Analyst & Strategy Consultant
La Gelatiera Gelato Shop- London, United Kingdom
December 2021 - August 2022 | Barista & Gelato Scooper
Dave Cavell for Congress- Brookline, Massachusetts
March - September 2020 | Policy Deputy & Finance Fellow
Semester at Sea Study Abroad Program
Spring 2020 | Impact Scholar | Alumni Engagement Scholar
- Countries on voyage: Japan, Việt Nam, Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, The Netherlands
Quorum Analytics- Washington, D.C.
June - August 2019 | Change Politics Intern
- Quorum is software built for public affairs, providing one place for stakeholder engagement, legislative tracking, and grassroots advocacy.
- Worked to highlight the Quorum platform (legislative software tracking) through research and policy briefs on immigration and pay equity.
- Utilized Salesforce, ChurnZero, Sparkpost and SQL to curate client usage reports.
Sunrise Center- Capricorn, Cape Town, South Africa
June - August 2018 | Summer Fellow
- Helped create and implement the curriculum for the holiday program in one of South Africa’s poorest townships.
- Worked to monitor, record and pacify the behavior of children between the ages of 2-6 during a period of an intense water shortage and crisis.
Tufts University Teaching and Lab Experience
Teaching Experience
Experimental College Teacher and Peer Leader
- Co-taught a 3-Credit class entitled "The Handmaid's Tale in Context" to first-year students in the Fall of 2019.
- Created and implemented lesson plans and activities each week, reviewed and graded assignments and projects, helped students register for classes and transition to college.
Student Faculty Interviewer
- Interviewed potential guest lecturers for the Tufts University Experimental College in Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 for the Spring 2019 and Fall 2020 academic semesters.
Research Experience
Diversity and Intergroup Relations Lab | January 2019 - May 2021
Faculty Advisor: Sam Sommers
- Assist in data collection for studies that examine the psychological factors that play a role in intergroup relations, especially as they pertain to immigration, race and ethnicity, and public policy
- Developing proficiency in various skills, such as conducting literature reviews, created Qualtrics surveys, data cleaning and analysis using SPSS
Cognitive Aging and Memory Lab
Faculty Advisor: Ayanna Thomas | August - December 2019
- Assist in studies that examine metamemory across the lifespan, eyewitness memory, retrieval enhanced suggestibility, and memory accuracy.
- Work directly with participants to administer survey
Mathnasium Certified Math Instructor- Corpus Christi, Texas
June - August 2017 | Math Instructor
- Used the Mathnasium Model to help teach math from grades 1-12.
MD Monthly Magazine Cover: June 2018
The Bend Magazine: August & September 2016
Published in the Corpus Christi Caller Times
Extracurricular Activities
Non-Profit and Social Impact Projects
Author, The Stories of U.S. (1st ed. published December 2019, 2nd ed. published December 2021)
Co-Founder of Project iConquer
Co-Founder of Project kNIGHTS (Keep Nurturing and Inspiring Good Habits in Teen Sleep)
London School of Economics and Political Science
Vice President of Conferences, TEDxLSE, 2021-2022
Editor, Department of Social Policy Blog, 2021-2022
Coordinator, Department of Social Policy Events Team, 2021-2022
Tufts University
Executive Organizer, Production Team Lead, Core Team, TEDxTufts, 2018- 2021
Executive Coordinator, Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) 2020- 2021
Senior Advisor, Co-President, Tufts Public Health Society 2018- 2021
Tufts School of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Student-Faculty Committee 2017-2021
Interviewer, Tufts University Experimental College Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2020
Assistant Director, Destination Imagination Medford 2018- 2021
5th & 6th Grade Math Tutor, Leonard Carmicheal Society at Tufts 2017- 2021
Director of Operations, Tufts Consulting Collective 2018- 2019
Volunteer, Refresh Bolivia 2017- 2018
Production Team Member, TEDxTufts 2017- 2018
Vice President of Programming, Tufts Public Health Society 2017- 2018
2nd Year Representative, Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) 2018- 2019
Traditions Coordinator, Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC) 2019- 2020
Co-Head of Merchandising, Women Entrepreneurship @ Tufts 2019- 2020
Student Analyst, Tufts Consulting Collective Fall 2018
Executive Board, TableTalk 2017- 2018
Social Chair, Women Entrepreneurship @ Tufts 2018- 2019
Entertainment Committee, Tufts Relay for Life 2017-2018
Veterans Memorial and Mary Carroll High Schools
President, Student Council 2015-2017
President, National Honor Society 2015-2017
President, District Food Advisory Team 2015-2017
President, Key Club Chapter 2015-2016
President (Veterans Memorial HS), District 10 Student Council 2016-2017
Editor-In-Chief, Veterans Memorial High School Yearbook 2016-2017
Vice-Chairperson, City Council Human Relations Commission 2014-2017
PTSA Student Ambassador 2015-2016
District FullTweet Student Anchor/Broadcaster 2015-2017
CCISD Wellness Policy Committee 2016-2017
Principal's Advisory Committee 2015-2017
It's Time Texas State Ambassador 2014-Present
Tobacco Prevention & Coalition Ambassador 2014-Present
Luther Jones Elementary Science Fair Judge 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017
James Ragan Children's Health Awareness Fair Coordinator 2014
Attorney, Mock Trial Team 2013-2017
Executive Board, Student Council 2013-2017
Member, KEDTV Challenge! Quiz Show Team 2016-2017
Member, Veterans Memorial High School Quiz Bowl Team 2016-2017
Member, National Beta Club 2016-2017
Vice President & Junior Parliamentarian, National Spanish Honor Society- Los Emperadores 2015
Secretary, Carroll HS Student 2 Student 2013-2014
Secretary, Carroll HS Medical Society 2013-2014
Secretary, Carroll HS Historical Society 2013-2014
Executive Board, Carroll HS National Youth Advisory Committee 2014-2015
Member of National Society of High School Scholars 2014-2017
Regional National Hispanic Institute Coach 2014-2015
National Honor Society, 2015-2017
Destination Imagination 2007-2016
Class Council 2013-2017
Chopin Society 2011- 2017
Debate Team 2013-2015
Volunteer Experience
Driscoll Children's Hospital
Welcome Center Volunteer: June 2015-August 2017
360+ hours
Leanoard Carmicheal Society
Refresh Bolivia
Destination Imagination Medford
Corpus Christi Public Libraries: Neyland and Garcia Branches
Corpus Christi Food Bank
Mirador Nursing Home
KEDTV Studios Charity Telethon
Ronald McDonald House of Corpus Christi
CCISD Special Olympics