Meet the Team
Islamabad
Kathy Aziz
Director - EducationUSA Advising
Kathy Aziz is from St. Paul, Minnesota. She manages the EducationUSA Advising Department at the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree from Columbia University. Prior to relocating to Pakistan in 2017, she worked for 15 years as a compliance officer at American Express Financial Advisers, later Ameriprise Financial, in Minneapolis.
Mashal Khan
Senior EducationUSA Adviser & Assistant Manager, Islamabad
Mashal completed a master's degree in teaching and curriculum in 2017 from Syracuse University, New York.
With limited means and higher education opportunities in Pakistan, Mashal was able to pursue her passion in the USA as an exchange student on a scholarship.
"International education is the key to success in today's world," she says. "The exchange of ideas and cultures across borders developed international-mindedness in me and prepared me for culturally informed interactions. Studying in the USA was a life-changing experience for me, which is why I want to continue inspiring my fellow Pakistanis in my current role as an EducationUSA Adviser."Umara Daud
EducationUSA Adviser
Umara Daud is from Islamabad and has lived in the United States for the last ten years (most recently in Manhattan). She has a Master's degree in International Education Development from Columbia University, and while in New York, also studied design at the Parsons School. Prior to joining USEFP, Umara worked with several organizations, including the Ministry of Finance (Pakistan) and the Bobst Center for Peace & Justice (Princeton University). Now living in the countryside outside Islamabad, Umara enjoys growing herbs and vegetables with her five-year-old and reading classics with her fourteen-year-old.
Zain Ali
EducationUSA Adviser
Zain Ali has graduated from Clark University with a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Economics. After graduating in 2020, Zain worked at a non-profit in Boston for a year before eventually moving back to Pakistan to be with his family. He feels that his time at a liberal arts college changed his worldview and opened him up to new and fun experiences. He joined USEFP in 2022, and is excited to work with students to help them achieve their dreams of studying in the U.S.
In his spare time, you can either find Zain hiking the Margalla Hills or drinking coffee at a local café with his friends.
Lahore
Aman Bashir
Senior EducationUSA Adviser & Assistant Manager, Lahore
Aman is from Lahore. He has a bachelor of science degree in economics from the Pennsylvania State University. He previously worked for five years as an operations manager for a school in Gujrat. Aman's success as an EducationUSA adviser has brought him into contact with hundreds of students, making him a key focal point for EducationUSA advocacy and outreach in the Lahore region. Reading tech news, FX trading and energy conservation projects are amongst his favorite hobbies.
Ayesha Siddiqi
EducationUSA Adviser
Ayesha Siddiqi is originally from Karachi and has also lived in Dubai, Manila, and Chicago. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and completed various Western Literature courses at KU Leuven in Belgium. Prior to joining the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan in 2021, she worked with several publications and multimedia platforms, primarily as an editor and editorial consultant. She is now based in Lahore and spends her time outside work running after her two hyperactive kids, painting still life, and reading works of magical realism.
Noor Ul Ain
EducationUSA Adviser
Noor Ul Ain is from Lahore, Pakistan. She is an education advisor at the EducationUSA Advising Office in Lahore. She has a bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College in International Relations with a minor in Economics. She lived in the United States for over five years. During her time in the United States, she worked at different institutions. She most recently worked at a manufacturing company in Michigan. Noor always had great interest in the education sector since her mother is an educationist by profession. She wants more Pakistani students to grow and learn from American education.
Karachi
Shiza Toor
Senior EducationUSA Adviser & Assistant Manager, Karachi
Shiza Toor is a marketer-turned-EducationUSA adviser, passionate about transforming lives by advocating a U.S. college or university experience to Pakistani students. With over 8 years of experience in marketing, communications, and public diplomacy, she has a knack for developing and implementing creative strategies to promote U.S. higher education to key stakeholders in Pakistan. She also helps to manage the bi-annual U.S. university recruitment tours, which have gained momentum over the years. Shiza has an MBA with majors in International Business and Marketing from the National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan.
Sana Hasan
EducationUSA Adviser
Sana Hasan graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Psychology and English. She thoroughly enjoyed her liberal arts college experience and now advises and helps prospective undergraduates navigate the application process for universities in the USA through the Unites States Educational Foundation in Pakistan.
Sana can be found in Karachi in her free time either playing with her three dogs or learning how to sail.
Zahra Khan
EducationUSA Adviser
Zahra Khan received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from New York University. Prior to joining EducationUSA in 2022, she worked in development consulting and psychological research in Pakistan. Now she hopes to be an adviser to students that want to study in the United States and explore ways to create impact in the education sector.
Outside of work Zahra enjoys reading, playing guitar, and spending time with her cats.
Omer Bashir
EducationUSA Adviser
Omer Bashir graduated from University of Houston - Victoria with a degree in Business with concentration in Management. He had been living in Houston TX for the past 12 years before moving to Karachi, Pakistan and joining EducationUSA in 2023. Having worked in the educational sector for the past 7 years, he feels passionately about helping people be successful in their careers by obtaining higher education in the U.S.
In his spare time, Omer enjoys spending time with his two kids, and exploring new restaurants in the city.