Since coming to Pitt in 2015, I have been an active member of the Muslim Student Association. As a member, I attended weekly general body meetings, social events, and campus-wide events to develop my connection with the Muslim community, improve my Islamic knowledge, and raise awareness about Islam and Muslims on campus. Some annual events include Halal-a-Palooza, an event which celebrates the diverse heritages of Muslims globally, and Fastathon, an event which encourages non-Muslims to try fasting for a day and brings non-Muslims and Muslims together to break the fast.
As president of the Muslim Student Association from Fall 2015 – Spring 2018, I performed administrative tasks. These included planning campus-wide events and allocating tasks to board members. As president, I helped organize annual events and additional speaking events, such as an event with Muslim model Mariah Idrissi. I also tried to expand the Muslim Student Association’s connections with other faith-based campus organizations by hosting an interfaith round-table discussion, as well as nearby Muslim Student Associations at Carnegie Mellon University and West Virginia University. I also helped coordinate a student-alumni networking event with Muslim alumni from Pitt.
I have also been a member of the Pakistani Student Association since freshman year and have assisted with henna at events and fundraisers, and performed group dances at club events. I am also a member of the Student Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) club at Pitt and have volunteered at Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) drills and volunteered with a medical vitals workshop through it.
