Seema was born in Varanasi, India and moved with her family to Knoxville at the age of 10. She became a Naturalized American Citizen in Knoxville at age 13. She was one of the first few recent immigrants of any background at West Hills Elementary School. Seema has always considered herself very fortunate to be raised as a Knoxville girl with the added richness of her Indian culture and language at home. After graduating from Bearden High School, Seema obtained a B.A. from UTK in Psychology and Religious studies.

After living and working in New York and Chicago for several years, Seema happily came back home to the Third City Council District, where she still resides.

Seema is the proud mother of a bright, enthusiastic daughter, who followed Seema’s educational route from West Hills Elementary School, through Bearden Middle School to Bearden High School, where she is currently a senior.

Professionally, Seema has served as a community advocate for more than two decades, dedicating many years to her work in the field of medical social services, where she assisted women in our community with access to healthcare. Additionally, she worked with the Knox County Health Department, focusing on access to medical care for Knoxville’s homeless population with HIV/AIDS.

For the past six years Seema has been the coordinator of the Batterers Intervention Program — Knoxville, a state-certified program to reduce intimate partner violence and rehabilitate domestic violence offenders.