How education changed everything: Kainat Ansari’s path from Pakistan to Harvard

This episode of Nukta Spotlight tells the powerful real-life journey of Kainat Ansari, a student who rose from a TCF school in Pakistan to Harvard University through education, resilience, and community support.

In conversation with Tanya Abbasi, Kainat shares how her parents challenged deeply rooted societal norms around girls’ education, how her family moved homes just so she could study at TCF, and how teachers transformed her academic foundation. From studying on the floor in a government school to topping national scholarship programs, her story highlights the life-changing impact of access to quality education.

The conversation also explores her experience studying in Norway and the United States, navigating cultural shock, fear, and self-doubt, and how mentorship and human connection helped her succeed. Now pursuing her master’s at Harvard, Kainat speaks about her mission to reform education policy in Pakistan, improve early intervention for autism and ADHD, and strengthen child mental health support systems.

The discussion expands into parenting, screen time, anxiety in children, the loss of community structures, and why rebuilding human connection is essential for mental health and societal progress.