Program: Human Services
Naveeda Athar was drawn to a service career after observing that communication skills in the U.S., as a first-world country, were declining.
"I come from a minority background and English is not my first language," she said. "I thought it would be a great idea to become a service provider as a counselor and for people whose first language is not English. This was the best decision of my life and I have been working in human services since 1997."
Athar works full-time at Concordia University, teaching graduate school in the Counselor Education Department. Due to her clinical background, she also is the program leader and director of the mental health clinic at Concordia and works part-time at a domestic violence agency.
As a part-time faculty member in the Human Services program at College of DuPage, Athar hopes her students learn about themselves first before they start treating and counseling others.
"This is the most important lesson that I would like to convey to each one of my students," she said. "The drive to achieve higher education inspires me. It is a great value for me and I am always driven to gain more knowledge through research and through general interactions with others."
Athar has learned from great teachers throughout her life and hopes her students remember her with high regard.
"I respect my teachers and always will hold them at a higher place in my heart," she said. "Therefore, I decided to impart my knowledge to others in hopes that my students remember me just the way I remember my own teachers."