During the summer, one of the major events I was involved in was Ramadhan (Ra-ma-th-an), or the month of fasting for Muslims. All Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk, and most Muslims come to their local mosques, or holy places for prayer, to break their fasts and pray together and regain their strength to take on the next day. Right now, try to remember what you feel after you haven't eaten in so long and want to devour everything in your sight. That's what everybody feels 5 minutes before the breaking of their fast. The women and the men are split into different sections of the mosque. My best friend and I volunteered the whole Ramadhan to pass out food to all the women and their children so it wouldn't be a chaos of people who didn't have food. My best friend and I met many families who were refugees from Syria and Iraq or Arabs who have a patient in their family with cancer who have come to the medical center for treatment. It felt really good to make them feel more at home and more welcoming to the Muslim community. It was really devastating to hear their stories and the ways they had to adapt to the new lifestyle. One busy day, we met a young boy named Abdullah whose father had died from cancer recently and even though it took 8 months to get over his depression, he had such a beautiful spirit and always made whatever room he walked into have such good vibes. His family however had financial issues and even though he never asked for anything, my best friend and I had such a deep yearning to find out what he really wanted. At the end of Ramadhan, we have a holiday called Eid and just like Christians and Catholics give presents on Christmas, we do the same. So we decided to figure out what he wanted and bought it for him. We both split the cost and paid for his iPad mini, and his excitement made cry. He kept saying "I didn't think you would get it because I know some people can't afford it", but he was so astonished and he was smiling hard. Sometimes, it's good just to do good.
Another thing my best friend and I put together was a donation drive for the refugees at our local mosque. We figured since most families had complications with money, we could get supplies for school and clothes for the children going to school the coming August. All throughout the month of Ramadhan, everybody dropped items and eventually we received more than enough to go around. I don't think there was anything we could have improved, distribution was organized and everybody got what they wanted. In all, I believe that both of us taking action towards the Muslim community benefited everybody.
This semester I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at my first night run. The foundation called "Blue Cure" supports and raises money for men with prostate cancer and helps fund for research. I got together with a group of friends from University of Houston and from HAIS and we created a group. We were in charge of the water station and honestly, passing cups to running people was one of the craziest experiences I have ever experienced. My sleeves and the sidewalk were soaked in water and littered with cups. It was atrocious to see children that were younger than me running 5k and inspired as well as made me feel grateful that citizens of Houston and all over trained to raise money for foundations like these.
LEAD11-12.ACT4. Reflect on their capacity to contribute/advocate for improvement locally, regionally, and/or globally
LEAD11-12.ACT4. Reflect on their capacity to contribute/advocate for improvement locally, regionally, and/or globally
Volunteering at AIMS: Arabic Immersion Magnet School
LEAD11-12.ACT4. Reflect on their capacity to contribute/advocate for improvement locally, regionally, and/or globally.
As junior president of National Honor Society, we got the amazing opportunity through Mrs. Adams, our past dean, to volunteer at the first magnet signing of the new Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS). With the personal experience of attending a school that was under 10 years old, I felt a connection to the new pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students that were coming in. The volunteers and I got to greet the new families, set up the catered Mediterranean food, assist the administration in completing entrance forms, and just sharing an experience of the birth of a new school. It was heartwarming to be able to know that I helped out in the start of a new school and made the process easier. I believe that a school teaching Arabic with the strong influences of Islam bring more unity to our community.
As junior president of National Honor Society, we got the amazing opportunity through Mrs. Adams, our past dean, to volunteer at the first magnet signing of the new Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS). With the personal experience of attending a school that was under 10 years old, I felt a connection to the new pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students that were coming in. The volunteers and I got to greet the new families, set up the catered Mediterranean food, assist the administration in completing entrance forms, and just sharing an experience of the birth of a new school. It was heartwarming to be able to know that I helped out in the start of a new school and made the process easier. I believe that a school teaching Arabic with the strong influences of Islam bring more unity to our community.