Virginia State Senator Saddam Salim (D) still sounds a little surprised when he talks about coming back to campusnot as a student, but as the keynote speaker for the May 16 Degree Celebration at 91做厙. When invited, he recalled thinking, Im not important enough to be doing this, but I will give it a go.
That humility is a throughline in Salims story, one shaped in classrooms and experiences at the Schar School, where he earned degreesBS in and in 2012 and 2015, respectivelyand began to see how public service as less a destination for a career than a set of optionspractical, varied, and close at hand. Today, as a state senator, he draws a direct line between those experiences and the work he does in Richmond.
Born in Bangladesh, his family emigrated to the United States in 2000 after surviving the devastation of severe drought followed by a catastrophic flood. He was 8. After a year in Washington, D.C., the family was made homeless when their building was sold and converted into luxury condominiums.
Low-income and affordable housing helped the family survive in Falls Church, Virginia, as did the available community health centers and a web of public services. These experiences inform his public service to this day.
When you are struggling, when youre stuck, that is going to be part of life, he said. But you are going to realize there are so many more people that would like to lend you a hand and say, Look, we got you.
That perspectiveequal parts realism and encouragementreflects both his personal journey and the ethos he encountered at George Mason.
At the Schar School, Salim, who lives in Falls Church with his wife, Fatimah, found more than political theoryhe learned how to use practical tools in the real world. An example that continues to resonate: One class offered hands-on use of sophisticated software used by key agencies in Washington. That kind of exposure, he said, translated directly into opportunity.
For you to put that on your resum矇, that was true real-life experience, he said.
Schar School faculty members with careers beyond academia helped map the terrain and put into focus how careers unfold, he said.
Its not always you get a degree and you go right into government, he said. You can go into nonprofit, you can go into many other sectors with a government or policy degree. That flexibility proved essentialnot just for him, but for classmates who went on to roles across government, nonprofits, and even elected office.
Salims trajectory, which includes being honored as the George Mason University Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year in 2025, reflects another lesson he shares with students: Impact often starts closer to home. After experiencing the range and complexity of federal work, he scaled back and realized he could make a more immediate difference at the state and local levels of government. His Schar School education, he said, really fits in any of these levels.
Starting locally allowed him to build relationships, experience, and a record that could grow over time. He now serves on several committees in the Virginia General Assembly, including Rehabilitation and Social Services, Courts of Justice, Privileges and Elections, and Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources.
Circumstances being what they are, current political headwinds have afforded him with another way to apply his penchant for public policy to a larger field. In early April, Salim, who works as a federal financial management contractor, announced he would be running as a candidate for Congress, joining a crowded field of Virginia Democrats vying for a seat in a newly created district in Northern Virginia.
Its one of those opportunities where you help a lot of people at your current job and then you see you can scale that up at the national level, he said. The party primary will be held August 4; the general election is November 3.
Salim assured us his Degree Celebration speech will not be a campaign effort. Im here as a sitting senator, an alumni who enjoyed his time here, and really want to empower the students in the audience, he said.
He knows the audience will be students who are familiar with the classrooms he once sat in. The message, if his own path is any guide, is straightforward: Start where you are, use what youve learned, and dont assume the path has to be lineareven if the opportunity ahead feels a larger than expected.