Growing up as a Muslim in a predominantly non-muslim environment I have been called a “towel head”, had “go back to your own country” screamed at me and been denied certain jobs due to wearing a hijab. Though hostility and ignorance are frequent experiences in my public life, it is not enough to stop me from achieving my purpose. Many people believe that a woman’s only role is to be a wife and mother, but it is vital that women have careers and are visible so their voices and actions can contribute to the betterment of our world. History has proven that when there are not enough women participating in society, detrimental customs and laws are adopted-female genital mutilation(FGM) is one example. Anyone who disputes Islam’s support of women having careers and participating in society outside of the home can look at the life of Prophet Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him) whose first wife Khadijah was a successful businesswoman. As Muslims, it is our duty to help others but I have always felt that it was a privilege. At first, teaching seemed to be the best way to help the next generation since I spent a lot of time tutoring and mentoring students, however, teachers only have access to children that are in school and there are limitations on what they can do when students have problems that are unrelated to education. I can make a greater difference as a foster parent than as a teacher or even a social worker, but much more is needed since there are over four hundred thousand children in the United States foster care system. My new career path as an Investment Advisor was inspired by my desire to resolve poverty, housing instability and homelessness experienced by the majority of foster children after aging out of foster care. As an Investment Advisor, I can use my knowledge to educate foster youth about investing to become financially secure. I will also develop housing communities offering discounted rent exclusively to former foster youth and spread awareness to recruit more registered foster parents nationwide. Since the leading causes of child deaths in this country can be prevented with basic CPR training, I also plan to help eliminate preventable deaths among children-especially children of color who are dying at the highest rate by providing free CPR, first aid and water safety training to parents of children receiving government-subsidized health insurance.