Name: Romit Shahani
Job Title and Organization: Principal (Partner) ZS Associates
Where you went to college and area of study: MS in Engineering Management Northeastern University, BS in Electrical Engineering, Mumbai University
Other roles or community involvement: Administrative Director, CourtyardDancers.org
Hobbies: Hikes, Travel, Beach, Reading, Hanging out with my daughters
Why did you decide to serve with College Possible Philadelphia? How do your values align with the organization?
I strongly believe education is a great equalizer and can greatly improve an individual’s chance at success. There are many statistics around it, but I am a real example of this fact, education was of the utmost importance growing up and there was always a belief education combined with hard work will yield in success. Growing up from a lower middle-income family to now with a stable job would not have been possible without an education. There are no short-cuts to success. As they say, “anything worth having is not easy, anything easy is not worth having.”
What do you see as a strength of the College Possible? Or what do you admire about College Possible?
I believe the strength of college possible is in its community. The structure and the programs and the belief that every student is capable and providing them with the opportunity for college education is a win. Additionally, there is a bonus in seeing students through to their college years creates an even more high impact and elevates our community.
Name one or two influential “coaches,” mentors or people who supported you on your path to a college degree. How did they impact your life or why was their encouragement meaningful?
I would attribute a lot of my success to my dad, who was tough and disciplined and taught us the ethics of hard work and urged us no to take any short cuts. Both my parents supported my decision to study abroad (in the US) and helped co-sign my student loans and believed in my ability and gave me the confidence to complete my masters and providing the foundations for future success.
As a board member, what do you hope to bring to the organization? And what do you hope to learn?
I personally hope to bring in coaching and mentoring where needed and being the steward for college education. I would love to learn and understand the individual stories to be able to communicate the impact to the next batch of students. As a board member, I will be excited to get the word out for all the good things that College Possible brings to our community.
