My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren, I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology graduate program at the Minneapolis campus. I want to become a psychotherapist and art therapist that can help the Muslim community along with other minority communities who are underrepresented. I want to help poeple gain easier access to therapy and mental health resources.

My name is NorKhadijah (Nor-kah-dee-ja). It is a name I have extraordinary pride in, and I refuse to take on any nicknames that try to replace it. My name is a combination of two names. "Khadijah" is an Arabic name that means "early baby" or "pre-mature baby". Khadijah is famously known as Prophet Muhammad's first wife in the Islamic faith. This name transformed into many meanings because of how iconic Khadijah was. She is known to be a businesswoman, hustler, leader, and a trustworthy person. She was the first person and woman to convert to Islam. When asked about Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad's response was: “She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand.” The name Khadijah transformed into a grand name that also means "respected, trustworthy, and perfect woman." My mother is a Muslim from Singapore, and my father is a Muslim from Minnesota. They have a strong connection to Islam and our Malaysian heritage. "Nor" or "Nur" means "light of God" in Arabic. It is popular for Muslims who live in southeast Asia to name their daughters "Nor" in the beginning of their name. I have many cousins and sibling who also share the "Nor" within their names. This name is important to me because it encompasses my personality perfectly, it is a unique and beautiful name that I love dearly. My name not only honors my religion, but it also honors my parent's culture. My name stands out as an exotic name in America, I hope I can find more names like mine in the future. I have had English speakers try to replace my name or claim that they cannot pronounce it. I tell them the significance of my name along with telling them that is they can say "Leonardo", "Michelangelo", or "Donatello" then they can say "NorKhadijah". The power my name holds has made me into an outspoken person who is vocal about injustices and reminds me of my own humility in the world. I aim to give respect and get respect from those around me. I do believe that names have power and contribute to how a person leads their life. Just like Khadijah, I aim to be outspoken, humble, kind, trustworthy, and respected.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. I am an Asian American who is also a Muslim. Along with losing a child with disabilities, our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate as the Public Relations Coordinator where I was able to use my platform to hear requests from college students, represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. The school serves an average of 200 families per month. Now that I have graduated with my bachelor’s in psychology, I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. I am an Asian American who is mixed, my mother is a Malay from Singapore, and my father is a white American. My parents have always integrated my Malay/Singaporean heritage into our lives, we embrace our customs through the delicious meals, singing Malay songs, wearing the most beautiful batik clothes, and speaking Malay in our household. We are also long-time members in the Minnesota Penajian group where Malay, Indonesian, and Muslim families get together to celebrate culture and/or Islam. Our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate where I was able to use my platform represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. It is difficult to pinpoint all the obstacles that I went through during my education endeavors, however I will try my best to describe these events. My little sister, NorKhalesah passed away in 2009. She was born with disabilities that involve Muscular Dystrophy, Hydrocephalus, Cobblestone Lissencephaly, Walker Warburg syndrome, Muscle Eye Brain disease, Diaphragm Plication, and many other illnesses that have affected her life since she was born. My sister could not talk, eat, breath, use the bathroom by herself; she was completely paralyzed and was dependent on my family for help. Unfortunately, the debt we gained from hospital bills almost made my family homeless. We struggled to be financially secure and experienced food insecurity in our household. My parents worked countless hours to make sure my siblings and I were supported. When my little sister passed away at the age of six, my family was devastated with grief, we turned to our Mosque for emotional support, and we found a wonderful community. I am an Asian American who is also a Muslim. Along with losing a child with disabilities, our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate as the Public Relations Coordinator where I was able to use my platform to hear requests from college students, represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. The school serves an average of 200 families per month. Now that I have graduated with my bachelor’s in psychology, I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.

From my profile picture you can see my beloved cat, Kuching. "Kuching" in Malay means cat and I love him to the moon and back! He has been my partner in crime since 2006, back then I was only in third grade. He is a ginger main coon and tabby mix, in his prime he was once twenty-five pounds, but is now only sixteen pounds. Now that I am an adult who is going through Saint Thomas' graduate program, he continues to be my biggest cheerleader and best cuddler. He has changed my entire life from learning how to take care of an animal to learning how to be someone an animal can trust. I have gone through many hardships in my life where I have lost close family members and have gone through tragic events, the one thing that would always give me comfort is my cat who knew I needed comfort. He has taught me that love is limitless, animals are intelligent, and treats are always acceptable. Now that my baby is going to be turning sixteen, it is scary to think that his health could decline at any day, and he may pass away. I want to spend every day loving and spoiling him until that day comes. On the bright side, he is super playful, and the vet has said that he is healthy with no issues. That gives me hope that I get to have him around for more years to come. I love pets because I believe that they bring out the best in every person, my cat has motivated me to be a kind person. I want to be a loving person who is genuine to those around me. I can tell that the same is true for pet owners who are motivated by their pet to get active, be trusting, be responsible, and wake up early to get the day started. Kuching has been a part of my journey for 15 years and I am loving every second of it. I plan to become a psychotherapist in my career, Kuching has taught me to listen and observe everyone. If someone is an animal or a human, we all have diverse ways to express ourselves and sometimes trauma we all carry. We all need a safe space with those who support and love us. That is how we can thrive and become healthy. Healing can never be forced because it needs patience and understanding.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. It is difficult to pinpoint all the obstacles that I went through during my education endeavors, however I will try my best to describe these events. My little sister, NorKhalesah passed away in 2009. She was born with disabilities that involve Muscular Dystrophy, Hydrocephalus, Cobblestone Lissencephaly, Walker Warburg syndrome, Muscle Eye Brain disease, Diaphragm Plication, and many other illnesses that have affected her life since she was born. My sister could not talk, eat, breath, use the bathroom by herself; she was completely paralyzed and was dependent on my family for help. Unfortunately, the debt we gained from hospital bills almost made my family homeless. We struggled to be financially secure and experienced food insecurity in our household. My parents worked countless hours to make sure my siblings and I were supported. When my little sister passed away at the age of six, my family was devastated with grief, we turned to our Mosque for emotional support, and we found a wonderful community. I am an Asian American who is also a Muslim. Along with losing a child with disabilities, our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate as the Public Relations Coordinator where I was able to use my platform to hear requests from college students, represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. The school serves an average of 200 families per month. Now that I have graduated with my bachelor’s in psychology, I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. My little sister, NorKhalesah passed away in 2009. She was born with disabilities that involve Muscular Dystrophy, Hydrocephalus, Cobblestone Lissencephaly, Walker Warburg syndrome, Muscle Eye Brain disease, Diaphragm Plication, and many other illnesses that have affected her life since she was born. My sister could not talk, eat, breath, use the bathroom by herself; she was completely paralyzed and was dependent on my family for help. Unfortunately, the debt we gained from hospital bills almost made my family homeless. We struggled to be financially secure and experienced food insecurity in our household. When my little sister passed away at the age of six, my family was devastated with grief, we turned to our Mosque for emotional support, and we found a wonderful community. I am an Asian American who is also a Muslim. Along with losing a child with disabilities, our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate where I was able to use my platform represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.

My name is NorKhadijah Lindgren. I am a new student at Saint Thomas University who is attending the Counseling Psychology program at the Minneapolis campus. My little sister, NorKhalesah passed away in 2009. She was born with disabilities that involve Muscular Dystrophy, Hydrocephalus, Cobblestone Lissencephaly, Walker Warburg syndrome, Muscle Eye Brain disease, Diaphragm Plication, and many other illnesses that have affected her life since she was born. My sister could not talk, eat, breath, use the bathroom by herself; she was completely paralyzed and was dependent on my family for help. Unfortunately, the debt we gained from hospital bills almost made my family homeless. We struggled to be financially secure and experienced food insecurity in our household. When my little sister passed away at the age of six, my family was devastated with grief, we turned to our Mosque for emotional support, and we found a wonderful community. I am an Asian American who is also a Muslim. Along with losing a child with disabilities, our family has gone through many hardships where racism and xenophobia has put us at a disadvantage in society. Prejudice has affected us in workspaces and schools. I want to one change these environments; I want to create inviting spaces that have no tolerance for prejudice. To make this a reality, my family had always advocated for volunteering and helping the community. With Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis, I was able to create community gardens, clothes drives, food drives, and assist those experiencing homelessness. These experiences have helped me feel humility and a vocation to help my community and anyone who seeks help. During my years at Anoka Ramsey Community college, I joined student senate where I was able to use my platform represent the student body, and work with multiple advocacy groups such as LeadMN. I was able to be an advocate for food security on campus. I was able to go to Washington D.C. to pass the Hunger Free Campus Act in 2019 for Minnesota schools. Other projects I took part in involve being on the “Get Out to Vote” state project, The Census state project team, and visiting classrooms across Minnesota college campuses to inform students to register to vote. With my advocacy work, I was one out of ten recipients of the “Student Leader of the Year” award. When the pandemic hit, I had just graduated from my associates degree and could not continue my job in fast-food. I decided to move from my hometown and move to Saint Paul to continue my education at Concordia University. I want to become a psychotherapist and an art therapist that can help the Muslim community and other minority communities. For the past year I have been serving as an AmeriCorps MAVA VISTA where I have spent 40+ hours a week dedicated to tackling food insecurity at Anoka Technical College’s Food Pantry. Anoka Technical College serves about 2,500 students a year of all ages and ethnicities. I am now continuing my journey at Saint Thomas where I want to learn about the world of therapy and mental health. Since moving, I have been budgeting from my VISTA stipend and using SNAP benefits to support my independent living. I plan to continue my passion in helping students at Normandale Community College where I will be able to mentor new college students and assisting the school’s food pantry. If given to opportunity for financial support, I will be able to make my dreams a reality where I can continue to pursue my education and my vocation in helping underrepresented families in need.