“I was very surprised,” Munira Khalif, senior at Mounds Park Academy, said. “The best part for me was being able to call family members on the phone and to hear their excitement. This was truly a blessing from God.”

The 8 Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and Yale University. In addition, Khalif was accepted to Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Minnesota.

“I am humbled to even have the opportunity to choose amongst these schools because they are all incredible places to learn and grow,” Khalif said.”

Extracurricular excellence

In addition to her exceptional academic record and vigorous class workload, Khalif is a state speech champion and founder and leader of MPA’s Social Consciousness Club.“Munira has thrived in MPA’s rigorous educational environment, where we challenge students to be intellectually curious and confident communicators,” Randy Comfort, MPA’s upper school director, said. “She already is making a difference in communities across the globe, and I know she is ready to embrace the challenges that arise in our constantly changing world.”

World contributions

Khalif is one of just nine young people from around the world to receive the UN Special Envoy for Global Education’s Youth Courage Award for her work as a young education activist.

She was also appointed as A World at School Global Youth Ambassador, working to promote universal education.

“I believe Munira has great potential to affect change on the world stage, given her combination of intelligence, sensitivity, powerful internal drive, practical skills and charisma,” Lisa Pederson, director of college counseling at MPA, said. “She interacts positively with people of different backgrounds, opposing viewpoints and ignorance.”

Khalif founded Lighting the Way, a non-profit campaign to make education accessible for East African youth, especially girls, by focusing on scholarships, building libraries, and mitigating sanitation issues. She has also served as a teen ambassador and advocate with Girl Up, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation that mobilizes American girls to take action on behalf of their counterparts in other countries.

She plans to major in political science and continue working to make a positive impact on the world through public service.

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I am a born Muslim and the family that I am bred in is pretty inclined towards religion. So the idea of significance of Islam and the proper following was innate. The more I matured up, the more I started reading, thinking and well, worrying about the socio-political affairs of the world especially in relation to Islam and Muslims. What I have realized through my humble understanding is that it is becoming more and more important for us to take up the RESPONSIBILITY of being Muslims.

Hijab is a choice yes I agree and no one can force another into donning it. Having said that, I firmly believe that to change a stereotypical perception, one has to take solid courageous steps. The world usually sees Hijab as a sign of oppression, viewing it as more of a sexist notion. In order to break this (oh-so-annoying) stereotype, I feel, Muslim women MUST prove their mettle in every field of life. From Journalism to Medicine to Fashion Designing, just everything! And prove to the world that Hijab does not limit or deprive them from succeeding in the society.

We live in a world where objectifying women is termed as “freedom” and I staunchly believe that if any woman is truly capable of shattering this insulting idea, it has to be a Hijabi! For Hijab gives the people a chance to look for something more than just skin deep in a woman. It compels a person to concentrate upon the intellect and beauty of the brains a woman holds.

I wish to request all of you who are taking out time to read this piece that PLEASE use your capabilities for the betterment of the despicable condition of Ummah. Everyone is born with an ‘IT’ factor PLEASE use it to demolish the horrible lies that are associated with our beautiful religion and costing us innocent lives every single minute. People distort a belief when they know that the beholders of that faith are not brave or steadfast enough to fight back, this is the case with us right now. If we take it upon ourselves that we will not stay quiet about the wrongs and we will show the world what we truly are made of through our highest potential then I promise you, we won’t have to apologize for crimes we did not commit and bad people we do not own.

For starters, Lets get ready for the World Hijab Day!! And from then on, lets live everyday with a fulfilling promise to use our potentials for Islam.

AllahBless!

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