Sumbul Siddiqui

In Sumbul’s Own Words:

My family immigrated to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan when I was two.  We were fortunate to win a lottery to enter the Cambridge affordable housing system. We were placed in Rindge Towers in North Cambridge and later moved to Roosevelt Towers in East Cambridge.  I attended Cambridge Public Schools throughout my childhood.

In high school, I developed a passion for civic and community engagement. I served as Student Body President at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.

I also co-founded the Cambridge Youth Involvement Subcommittee, now the Cambridge Youth Council. I wanted youth to have a voice in Cambridge.  The Youth Council has been active for 15 years and continues to be a platform for youth to advocate on issues that concern them.

I pursued an educational path that would empower me to advocate for and improve the vital public programs and social services that shaped my life and provided my family with the stability we needed to thrive, such as Headstart and public housing. I attended Brown University where I studied public policy. After college, I served as an AmeriCorps fellow at New Profit, a Boston non-profit organization dedicated to improving social mobility for children, families, and their communities. I obtained a law degree at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, which enabled me to more effectively advocate for the economic, policy, and social interests of low-income and working class people in my community. After law school, I returned home to Cambridge.

I would be honored to advocate for you and the Cambridge community by representing your interests in City Hall. As a city, we must reflect upon where we have come from to shape our way forward in the future. I am aware of the city’s amazing resources. I benefited from affordable housing, public education, and the thriving, diverse community of which I am proud to be a product. At the same time, I am aware of the challenges that prevent Cambridge from being an inclusive place for all.

To achieve any progress, collaboration is essential. The issues that matter to me—affordable housing, the health of small businesses, civil engagement and government accountability, the sustainability of our city, and the health and safety of our neighbors— demand our best efforts. I am prepared to give mine.

At a time of national uncertainty, we must become stronger locally. I’m certain we can do great work together for Cambridge. We must.