Warisha Khan (she/her)
BS 2026 International Relations and Political Science, Additional Major Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Bio
Warisha Khan have always had a passion for the environment, from watching the caterpillars grow in kindergarten to taking AP Environmental Science her senior year of high school, she was just so interested in the overlap of the man-made environment with the naturally occurring. In high school Khan did a research project on how countries built policies on sustainability and how it was difficult because issues like climate change don’t need a visa.
Environmental ideas was one of Khan's favorite courses in which they were able to dive deep into the context of what modern day sustainability means and the importance of the environment in the human experience. The course also allowed her to really see the interdisciplinary approach of the major as the course had students sharing how the readings and assignments tied to their primary major.
Khan studied abroad in Indonesia, where she got the opportunity to research coral reef restoration and biodiversity conservation with a local nonprofit called the Friends of Nature People and Forests. Working alongside local communities and nonprofit organizations, she learned about both the ecological and social dimensions of environmental protection, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges of sustaining vulnerable ecosystems in rapidly changing environments. Through this experience, Khan learned while large-scale funding and grants from governments and private institutions play a critical role in supporting conservation efforts, the success of these initiatives ultimately depends on local expertise and community knowledge. Nonprofits and community leaders were often the ones translating resources into effective, culturally grounded solutions.
Warisha definitely plans to be more curious about where she's putting her money, and how honest brands are about their sustainability. She hopes to one day work on the cross roads of the environment and policy.
