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Empowering Refugee Youth: Pareeni Shah’s Mission with Inspire NextGen
In 2020, while most high school students were navigating the challenges of remote learning during a global pandemic, Pareeni Shah was laying the foundation for a nonprofit that would change lives. As a junior in high school, Pareeni founded Inspire NextGen, an organization dedicated to tutoring and mentoring refugee students and children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Meet Pareeni Shah
Pareeni, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I have always believed that coming up with an idea starts off with thinking about what you are passionate about, and the impact you want to make on your passion 
Do good. Give back
Social entrepreneurship at SMU means dreaming up big solutions to the world’s challenges. See how our students, alumni and faculty are up to the task.
Pictured: Kirsten Edwards ’24 works to find roofing solutions in Tanzania as part of Professor Jessie Zarazaga’s Sustainability and Development program. Read more about the courses below. 
Inspiring Conversations with Pareeni Shah of Inspire NextGen
Hi Pareeni, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I founded a chapter of the United Nations GirlUp organization at my school.
Meet Pareeni Shah | CEO of 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Inspire NextGen
Inspire NextGen, our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, helps the world by offering additional educational opportunities for underprivileged refugee students from all around the world. Many of these students have had to flee their countries at an early age due to harsh family, political, or financial concerns, and this has resulted in a childhood full of a lack of sufficient education and mentorship.
Meet Pareeni Shah
Pareeni, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
