“I would call Tim a real team player,” said Sultan’s colleague in the KSG student government Sarah B. Harre. “He is a leader who is effective and not afraid to think big.”

“He is very keen to understand all points of view and focuses on ensuring all parties are well represented,” KSG classmate Elizabeth J. Carr wrote in an e-mail. “He is passionate and enthusiastic and this allows him to create an energy around him.”

Sultan says he feels prepared to both run for and serve in Congress thanks to his experience at Harvard.

“It takes a lot of courage and I know it’s an uphill battle, but I’m going to give it a shot,” Sultan said. “The Kennedy School is the best thing I ever did. I feel prepared. On inauguration day, I know what to do.”

Sultan specifically cited courses such as PAL210, “The U.S. Congress and Law Making,” taught by Associate Professor of Public Policy David King as extremely helpful preparation.

King is also the professor who teaches KSG’s week-long crash course on how Congress works, which is offered annually to first-year members of the House of Representatives.

—Staff writer Laura A. Morris can be reached at lmorris@fas.harvard.edu.