Meet the GBSA Officers
“A lion cub once bit me at the Lion & Safari Park in South Africa!”
While I was raised in upstate New York and went to university in Chicago, I spent most of my adult life and career in New York City. I left my corporate job in 2019 and became a community organizer to support my community during the pandemic. In late 2020, I made the hard decision to leave NYC and spent 18 months traveling the US in a minivan before joining the MBA program at Olin. As VP of Diversity & Inclusion, I am eager to work to make Olin a more inclusive and supportive place, where everyone in our diverse student body feels belonging and safe being their full selves.
Meeghan Sheppard was born and raised in Taiwan where she spent many years of her childhood exploring the mountains on the island. When she moved to the United States to attend college, she continued to pursue her love of the outdoors through trail running in the foothills of Boise. Her background living in Taiwan and traveling across the Asia-Pacific region sparked an interest in international business, which is what lead Meeghan to St. Louis to be a part of the 2024 MBA cohort. Now, in her spare time, you can find Meeghan running outside, exploring the trails and parks that St. Louis has to offer. She is excited to bring her experiences and skills that she had teaching in both Taiwan and in the United States to the position of VP of Academic and Professional Development to help continue to improve the student experience at WashU’s Olin School of Business.
Qasim Hayat is originally from Faisalabad, Pakistan, and has called the United States his home for the last decade. He is an avid fan of winter and loves being in the mountains. Fortunately, he has started to appreciate summers but sadly due to age progression. He is the black sheep of the family but still is half a doctor by virtue of being at the dinner table with his family. He has a natural knack for numbers and is beyond ecstatic to serve as your VP of Finance. He holds a strong passion for helping the underserved segments of society.
Likes: Disc Jockeying, Cricket, Ticket to Ride (Boardgame), Financial Markets, English Tea, Reading.
Dislikes: Pineapple on Pizza, wearing his glasses, an average choice in perfumes/scents.
Primarily having grown up in Hyderabad, India, Shradha is a globetrotter who enjoys discovering food, places, and people and loves spending time making detailed itineraries. Being an avid golfer for 18 years has taught her to always be hopeful for a better shot even in frustrating situations!
Born to strict parents who only stressed academics, Shradha understandably enjoys nonacademic, social activities and throwing parties. She hopes to bring this experience to the VP of Social Programs.
LIKES: Shopping, Chocolate ice cream, 7-month-old niece, long walks, crime documentaries
DISLIKES: Raisin cookies, my alarm clock, elevator conversations, battery at 3%
Jahana Wazir hales from the mountains of West Virginia and has also spent significant time in the mountains of Pakistan, her father’s native country. Per a Personality and Insights assessment, “She is optimistic, usually has a positive sense of humor, and enjoys the uniqueness of each human being.
When she has strong feelings about a particular problem, you should expect to hear these feelings, and they will probably be expressed in an emotional manner” … Jahana is excited to bring this passion to the role of Vice President of Social Programs and organize creative events for the classes to enjoy!
LIKES: Halloween, Country Roads, Settlers of Catan, her herd of nieces and nephews, Zillow
DISLIKES: Chocolate Icing, Being Cold, Tardiness, Gray walls, Cookbooks without Photos
Hi, I am Nikitha Nair from Mumbai, India. I find writing ‘Fun’ things about me the most difficult thing to do. I like to make people laugh. I like to clean, but I am also lazy. I decided to run for International student relations because I thought I’ll get to share a few lessons and some fun stories while I figure out how to navigate life in the US. I’m personally not used to the order and rules such as crossing roads – we don’t have to wait for signs to tell us when to cross the road in India, haha! We just look left-right and run! Also, having to answer how my day was to total strangers at stores, on the bus, on the roads – So weird! I am still trying to figure out what to answer people when they ask me how I’m doing every 2mins because in India we only ask that question probably once/twice a year when we know someone was unwell. I make mistakes and learn from them. I’m a work-in-progress just here to make life a little better for everyone around me!
Knight describes herself In two words – warm and friendly! She enjoys spending quality time with her family & friends, traveling, and running to keep fit when she can. Knight was born & raised in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenyans are known for holding a lot of family and friends gatherings to celebrate both life and achievements over Nyama Choma (barbecue), ugali (for lack of a better word – cornbread), and kachumbari (salsa) among others. Knight hopes to leverage her culture of “bringing people together” to make a positive impact on students’ participation & engagement.
John Badgett
Deborah “Didi” Nwankwo
Gowthaman Manikandan