When I consider the past few years I’ve spent at the University of North Florida, I think about an inclusive and caring environment where students are free to be themselves and create a path toward what they want to do in life.

That means a lot to me, considering the tough experiences I had growing up as a Muslim in America in the shadow of the terror attacks Sept. 11. Acceptance was something that was often lacking in my early school years. At 9 years old, I didn’t even know what a terrorist was, but insults and threats were still directed my way by classmates. That treatment became so difficult to bear that I transferred to an Islamic school soon after. I started wearing the traditional head covering, or hijab, while I was there, but I still encountered discrimination from people in the community.

At UNF, I’ve never experienced any of that negative treatment. I’ve always felt like a welcomed member of the campus community. From my professors to my fellow students, everyone has been supportive and respectful. It’s the perfect environment for me, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to further my education here. However, college didn’t always seem like a definite.

My mother wasn’t able to pay for me to go to college, so it was unclear if I’d be able to afford getting a degree without going into serious debt. But UNF and The Jacksonville Commitment scholarship fund were there to ensure I could attain my higher education goals without taking out big loans.

Any of the other state schools I applied to would have left me in debt. UNF, on the other hand, provided for my education. My decision was even easier to make since UNF was my first choice thanks to the busy and beautiful campus.  

Looking back, my decision seems even smarter because of all the amazing hands-on learning opportunities I’ve had with different causes, clubs and organizations. My high school experience wasn’t filled with many extracurriculars because I was always working jobs after school to bring money home. But at UNF, I wanted to get involved as much as possible and leave an on-campus legacy. I’m a member of the Pre-Law Student Society, I worked to bring back the Muslim Student Association and have served on a number of campus-wide advisory committees. Out of all of my experiences, working with Student Government has been my favorite activity on campus. I’ve been able to help allocate funds for clubs and campus groups and help positively impact the community.

My plan is to graduate in four years while raising my GPA enough that I would have a shot at being accepted into Harvard University for law school. That’s a goal that I never would have even allowed myself to consider a few years ago. My time at UNF has helped greatly in building up my confidence and my belief in myself. All of my extracurricular activities have shown me that I can have a big impact on my surroundings and truly make a difference in the lives of others.

When I was first getting accustomed to the college environment, I often thought of a lesson my mother taught me when I was younger. She said “never leave a situation in a worse state than when you found it.” I took that saying to heart, and I’ve worked to leave a positive impact on campus. Whether that’s through my work with Student Government or the time I put in to bringing back the Muslim Student Association, I can say that I’ll leave behind a part of myself at UNF when I graduate. And UNF is the kind of school where a student can gain valuable experiences and come into their own as a person. That’s what it’s all about.