Volunteering for the Imagining Futures Conference 2025 was a wonderful way to kick off my third semester at Habib University. What started as a simple desire to do something meaningful with friends quickly evolved into something much deeper. I found myself practically living the conference.
My role as a volunteer was fluid and dynamic. One moment, I was ushering guests and managing registrations, the next, I was crafting testimonial questions for speakers whose work I deeply admired. Each task pulled me into a different rhythm of the conference, and I loved the unpredictability of it. I was constantly on my feet, constantly learning.
A Moment That Stayed With Me
There was one moment that truly struck a chord. On day three, I attended a roundtable session focused on Pakistani Law and Human Rights. Listening to Rabiya Javeria, Chairperson of the National Commission of Human Rights, and Amna Baig, Superintendent of Police, was nothing short of riveting. Their words moved everyone.
After the session, I had the chance to meet them, ask questions, and take their testimonials. It felt surreal. I wasn’t just a student anymore; I was a participant in a conversation that mattered. I also got to interview two representatives from UNDP, Malik Kamran Azam and Kaiser Ishaque, the latter having moderated the very session that had captivated me most. Designing questions that could spark meaningful dialogue was a challenge I embraced with joy.
Learning in Motion
Parallel to the conference was a Policy Hackathon, where students from across universities tackled real-world problem statements. As a rising sophomore in Social Development and Policy, I initially assumed I’d be more of a bystander. But as participants approached me for help, I realized I had more answers than I expected. It was a quiet kind of thrill: realizing that the concepts I’d been absorbing over the past year weren’t just theoretical. They were tools. And I knew how to use them.
That moment of realization was electric. I thought back to sessions I’d attended outside the classroom, like the Youth Empowerment for Engaged Citizenship Project, and saw how they had quietly shaped my understanding. I hadn’t even noticed the depth of learning I’d carried with me until I was asked to share it.
Looking Ahead
More than just an extracurricular, volunteering at the Imagining Futures Conference was a lens into the kind of impact I want to make. It gave me access to conversations that matter, and reminded me that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms. It happens in hallways, in impromptu interviews, in the quiet confidence of realizing you know more than you thought.
I’m grateful to have started my semester this way. And I’m even more excited to keep showing up for the conversations, the causes, and the communities that make learning feel alive.
About the Author
Habibah Rahman is a Social Development and Policy major at Habib University, Class of 2028. Passionate about healthcare, social justice, and human rights, she thrives at the intersection of advocacy and action, whether she’s volunteering at campus events or writing to spotlight pressing social issues. When she’s not deep in conversation about equity or crafting reflective essays, you’ll likely find her recharging in the female lounge or soaking in the calm of the Zen Garden, her favorite campus hideouts.
