[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 129 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E799-E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO ZAHRA SOMANI KARAMALI

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2021

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and profoundly 
thank a long time, super-star member of my staff, Zahra Somani 
Karamali. After serving in my district offices for thirteen years, 
Zahra is moving on to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychology and a career as a 
School Psychologist. It is hard for me to even imagine not having Zahra 
serving the residents of the 9th Congressional District as one of the 
most effective Constituent Advocates in the country. Though not in my 
office, she will always be a beloved member of Team Schakowsky.
  Zahra Somani Karamali joined my office in 2008, and she brought 
perspective, experience, and enthusiasm that have left a permanent 
impact on our operations and on constituents' lives. She is a dedicated 
public servant who readily established herself as a strong ally for 
individuals who would otherwise not have an effective voice. My husband 
and I had the joy of attending her wedding to Nauman and celebrating 
the birth and growth of their two wonderful children Ayman and Zayna. 
She and her family have become cherished friends.
  Over the years, Zahra advocated for thousands of constituents who 
needed help with a wide range of issues. She cut through red tape and 
solved difficult problems, often in life-changing ways.
  Zahra helped immigrant families who were pursuing green cards or 
struggling to obtain a visa to travel home to visit sick relatives. She 
helped reunite families, assisted refugees, and helped immigrants 
obtain naturalization status. She expedited passport applications so 
that mothers and fathers didn't miss their daughters' wedding abroad. 
When residents called because they had missing mail or delayed tax 
returns, Zahra provided an empathetic ear and an enthusiastic hand to 
help solve those issues. During the pandemic she helped constituents 
who were stranded abroad and helped constituents obtain desperately 
needed stimulus checks and important benefits. She fought for 
constituents to receive all the benefits they needed and deserved and 
tackled problems big and small with compassion and professionalism.
  Zahra is active in the Ismaili community and played an instrumental 
role in building and strengthening my and my office's relationships 
with the Muslim community. I am proud to have stood alongside her and 
so many others in that community in good times and in bad, and I deeply 
cherish the relationships I've formed along the way.
  Zahra is always enthusiastic and willing to do whatever needs to be 
done. She represented me at office hours in libraries across the 
northwest suburbs, helped organize and conduct a wide array of events, 
and spoke on my behalf at events across the district.
  Zahra has been an essential member of the team, and a big reason why 
my office is well known for its effective constituent services. I will 
miss Zahra very much, as will everyone on the staff. I expect to hear 
from many constituents who will be very disappointed to hear that Zahra 
is no longer there to help. We pledge to her that we will all work hard 
to fill the gap. I know that the fortunate students and families she 
will serve in the years ahead will benefit from the wonderous gifts 
that have made Zahra so invaluable to me.

[[Page E800]]

  

                          ____________________