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Sama Muhsen

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Singing
  • Viola
  • Piano
  • Guitar
  • Foreign Languages
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Songwriting
  • Student Council or Student Government
  • National Honor Society (NHS)
  • Social Sciences
  • Sociology

Reading

  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Young Adult
  • True Story
  • Cultural
  • Drama
  • Dystopian Fiction

I read books multiple times a week.

Bio

Hello, I'm Sama! Here's a little bit about me. First, I'm Palestinian. We are fearless and bold people, a description I strive to live up to this every day. I want to make my people and parents proud. As immigrants, they quite literally traveled land and sea to give me the opportunity to even write this, and that's a sacrifice I never take for granted. Second, I am a leader. I wasn't always able to say that though. When I was younger, I was painfully shy. Seeking leadership is what helped me change that. Through leadership opportunities in both music and student services, I have grown into a confident Student Council President, NHS Secretary, and Chorale Section Leader. I use the skills from these experiences to run our school's Acapella group, which I founded and am pitch-piper for. Finally, I am a creative. My free time is spent singing, playing instruments, writing both songs and stories, and drawing. For me, the beauty of art lies not just in what's created, but what it can express. Having the ability to express myself in that way has made me more confident, empathetic, and curious. All this culminates in my goal of pursuing Journalism and Law. I'm drawn to this path because of how it combines creativity with drive and leadership. I want to be able to share my own story, but also the stories of others when they cannot. I am curious and love learning about new experiences, something crucial to success in both fields. In college, I plan to develop my career path while remaining invested in music and art through extracurriculars.

Education

Lincoln-way East High School

High School

2020 – 2024

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Majors of interest:
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other, Law, Psychology, General
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Waitress/Server

    Hospitality · Tuscany Falls Banquet Hall

    Jan 2023 – Present

  • Ice Cream Scooper

    Food & Beverages · Kernel Sweettooth

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2022

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Law Practice
Dream career goals:
Lawyer/Journalist
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
Youssef University's Muslim Scholarship Fund
'You have nothing to fear except those who fear you.' This is the line of thinking my father begged my brothers and me to follow since we were little. Being what felt like the only Muslims in the cookie-cutter slice of Americana that was our small suburban town, it was hard to go against his logic. People fear what they don't understand, and we were sure our sheltered neighbors and peers wouldn't understand us if we shared our practices with them. So for that reason, my mother and I aren't allowed to wear hijabs and my brothers and I can't pray at school. We almost never correct people on how to pronounce our family name too, because why make it harder for them, right? For a while, I thought so. Better safe than sorry, I supposed. But in my heart, it felt horribly wrong. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life hiding something I'm so proud of. Plus, it wouldn't do either side any good not to share it. Why assume the worst of people when they could learn so much? When WE could learn so much from sharing the beauty of Islam and breaking down barriers. I firmly believe that there is never a reason not to learn. This is the line of thinking I choose to follow. Learning about and dissecting different life experiences in my English and History classes have inspired me not only to seek out knowledge of these other cultures, but to share my own with whoever is willing to listen. Though school has helped, the crux of my passion lies in my experience as a Muslim. Being who I am and living where I do to some may seem like a struggle- and there are moments where it really is. However, I've taught myself to turn this struggle into an opportunity. I have grown to see ignorance not as something to fear, but something to improve. Ignorance is rooted in fear after all, and if I can turn someone's fear of Islam into interest and understanding, then I see it as one more person out there who will fight for the greater acceptance of our community. Having been on the misunderstood side, I've made it my mission to create a community where we can forget 'sides' altogether. To accomplish this, I aim to pursue journalism and law. I feel that this path is one where being open and curious is crucial. Journalism educates the ignorant, and law aims to understand those who could be misunderstood. You can't do either if you're unwilling to listen, and that's what we need more of. Willingness to listen. I will forever be thankful for everything Islam has given me. What I'll be most thankful for though is the drive it gave me. Existing in a world as polarized as today's makes being Muslim challenging. It's the unfortunate truth. People will judge and people will act on those judgments. What we can do and what we should do is use that as fuel to better ourselves and educate those who can't see that we can. I excel in school because I want to amplify my voice. This scholarship will help me do that by contributing to my tuition and getting me closer to all the places where I long to share my voice and experience. Being Muslim has made curiosity the core of my personality, and I hope to foster that for both myself and others with the help of this scholarship.
Sama Muhsen Student Profile | Bold.org