Fariha Hossain

Tennessee P-12 Policy Fellow

As a P-12 Education Policy Fellow for the Education Trust in Tennessee, Fariha analyzes education policy and research to advance student-centered and equity-driven policy in the state of Tennessee. Prior to joining The Education Trust, Fariha was a Project Based Learning high school science teacher at Columbus Signature Academy New Tech in Indiana where she developed interdisciplinary projects with colleagues and community partners. On a district level, Fariha served on her district’s Diversity Council and worked on developing their initiatives to recruit and retain underrepresented teachers and utilizing restorative justice to address racial conflicts in local schools.

Fariha holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Secondary Science Education Certificate from Indiana University. She is currently a first year Education Policy master’s in public policy candidate at Vanderbilt University.

What drew you to education?
For as long as I can remember, I have gravitated toward working with youth, whether it be through volunteering, organizing youth-led camps, or service-learning in local schools. In all these spaces, I recognized that by supporting youth and helping them to develop confidence and skills, I was able to help set them on a positive trajectory. Eventually as a teacher, I was able to support and advocate for students every day and all day long, but I recognized that systemic issues created roadblocks to some students’ successes. This brought me to education policy, in the hopes that I can push for change to open doors for students across the country.

Proudest Moment
Any moment where I was able to successfully advocate for the needs of my students, especially those that were marginalized or underrepresented.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, hiking, camping, painting, and drawing henna tattoos.