I am currently majoring in Fashion Design, an art form I have been in love with ever since I can remember. Fashion is an incredibly dynamic and creative way to express who you are through the clothing you wear. Designing offers a unique perspective by bringing what is in your mind to life. Pursuing this degree has been a challenge but I have been blessed to be given the opportunity to do so. Fashion Design requires demanding abilities and learning new skills, but this has only deepened my love for it. My family being immigrants and refugees were not given the privilege of studying an artistic field. My two older sisters helped my single mother to raise me growing up, and through the obstacles they never allowed them to hinder them in drive and ambition. I am the first woman in my lineage to be born in the U.S. and I consider this one of the greatest privileges gifted to me by Allah SWT. Seeing the struggle so many have gone through has made me truly appreciative of the women in my family who have inspired me. They have worked endlessly so they can support me and my younger sister in following our desires to be who we want and pursue what we wish. My mother tells me my love and talent for fashion from a young age is why she believes in me. I continue to follow this path for them and their faith in me. The people in my family worked extremely hard to get where they are and always valued education from the beginning. We are lucky enough to attend universities and many have master's degrees or higher. This has curated the path for me to appreciate higher education and understand that college and university are expected from me and a standard I should hold myself to. With my degree, I hope to work as an apparel and technical designer for ready-to-wear womenswear, focusing on modesty. Being a Muslim woman in fashion, I hope to change contemporary fashion by displaying a side of modesty influenced by women in Islam. The fashion pieces I have made are inspired by abayas and other garments. I value community immensely and especially being Muslim and Arab, these are two crucial aspects of my identity that influence many designs I make. I find that being there for the people in our community even in the smallest of ways, such as babysitting the children of working single Muslim mothers or helping organize meetings for Muslims to come together and create a safe space, especially in times as trying as these can make a difference. I love to go to the masjid and connect with others in our community. One of the greatest feelings is after the Eid salah when we are all able to come together and join in our deen as one. To me, being a Muslim is everything and at the forefront of my identity. Islam is so beautifully intricate and has helped me in the best and worst of times. To me, being a Muslim is centered around our five pillars and it also goes beyond that. I hope to make it to Hajj someday InshaAllah yet I follow the rest of the pillars because they are the foundation of our faith. Being a good Muslim is also dependent on our character and the treatment of others. The best way to do this is to follow the teachings and the ways of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and lead with as much modesty and grace in our souls as we can.

My dream as an artist is to design for a successful company and put my designs out into the world before creating my own brand or line. I want to dress others and see my visions come to life in reality by showing people that they can present themselves by telling people who they are without having to say a word and through their fashion and style alone. I hope to feel that I have changed the way people around me perceive apparel and its style and structure!