Shereen Arent, President

Shereen volunteered at Sambhali Trust during the winter of 2019 where she worked on the No Bad Touch program to prevent sexual abuse of children; helped developed Aadarsh, a program for teens about the physical and emotional changes in puberty; and spent her afternoons with the girls at the Sheerni Boarding home. Upon her return, she worked with others to found Sambhali U.S. and also spends time each year in India at Sambhali Trust.

Shereen’s international work also included roles as a chapter leader, regional mentor, and member of the national Grant Selection Committee of Together Women Rise, a national giving circle supporting grassroots organizations empowering women and girls in developing countries.

As the former Chief Advocacy Officer of the American Diabetes Association, Shereen focused on developing public policies to prevent diabetes; increasing funding for diabetes research and programs; improving access to quality health care; and eliminating discrimination against people with diabetes. Shereen established the first Equal Employment Opportunity office for the Architect of the Capitol, an agency of Congress, and was a partner at two public-interest law firms, Youngdahl & Youngdahl in Little Rock, Arkansas and Newman & Newell in Washington, D.C. where she litigated to advance workers’ rights. Shereen also served as law clerk to the Judge Phyllis A. Kravitch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. She holds a BA degree from Stanford University and a JD degree from Harvard Law School.

“Every day at Sambhali Trust taught me a different version of an essential lesson: that I was receiving more than I was giving by being a part of the lives of the girls and women of Sambhali Trust. I witnessed heartbreaking struggles and amazing transformations—and I came home committed to working with other Americans to support the many ways Rajasthani women and girls were raising their voices and rebuilding their lives through the Sambhali’s programs.”