Ask Tahira Rehmatullah’s friends and colleagues about her and you will hear words such as “involved,” “inspiring,” and “humble.” They describe a young alumna who exemplifies Ohio State’s motto: Disciplina in civitatum or “Education for citizenship.”

For the past four years, Rehmatullah has been a volunteer with the New York City chapter of Youth Outreach, Developments in Literacy, first as a board member and now as national director of finance. The nonprofit organization promotes literacy and education in remote areas of Pakistan by establishing and operating schools for underprivileged children, with an emphasis on gender equality and community participation.

As a board member, Rehmatullah planned events that raised more than $50,000 annually to fund schools, and she worked to strengthen the group’s relationship with other literacy organizations in the New York area. Now, as national director of finance, she oversees the organization’s chapter finances and performance nationwide.

Rehmatullah also volunteers with the Student Sponsors Partners Program, a group that provides at-risk youth in the New York City area with a private high school education through financial support and four-year mentorships. She has mentored a student for the past three years and plans to continue through the student’s graduation from high school.

Since Rehmatullah’s work brought her to the New York City area in 2005, she also has been an integral member of the local alumni club. Now in her fourth term as president, Tahira has implemented significant improvements to the organization’s fund-raising efforts and membership drives.

Under her direction, the club has refocused its mission to provide activities for all alumni members, strengthened its ties to the Alumni Association, created a new Web site, and doubled the number of dues-paying members.

Wrote one recommender, “All of the work she has done with the alumni club is inspiring, but what is more inspiring is that she does it not for recognition, but because she is truly passionate about her role and is determined to make a difference."

Rehmatullah’s career work has been just as laudable. After graduation, she secured a position with one of the world’s largest professional service firms, Ernst and Young. There, she used her savvy in the financial services advisory practice to develop risk controls and analyze investment activities for two of the firm’s leading clients—Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.

In March 2007, Rehmatullah joined Perry Capital, where she is a research associate in structured products, focused on residential and commercial real estate securities and sovereign debt. She also manages the team’s external research relationships.

Whether through her volunteer service or in her career performance, Tahira’s contributions are noticed by those around her. As one recommender put it, “Tahira is the most passionate person I know—a trait that is exhibited in all she does. She does not seek recognition for any of her accomplishments; in fact, she is beyond humble.”