Ninth

“It was a typically hot afternoon in Memphis – the perfect weather for the start of my freshmen year. After nervously exiting my dad’s golden Honda Odyssey, I slowly made my way down the gravel path. With each step, a new concern or question would arise in my mind: What would they think of me? Would anyone recognize me? Will they still want to be my friends? Ninth grade not only marked the beginning of my high school career, but the beginning of my life as a hijabi. I would be the first hijabi in my school’s hundred-year history. Although I’d been at the same school since fifth grade, I was extremely nervous of everyone’s reaction to my newly adorned garment. What I didn’t know at the time was that wearing the hijab would tremendously enrich my high school experience. I was the first Muslim that many of my peers and teachers had personally known. Over the years, I was able to dispel many of their stereotypes regarding Islam. As a freshman in college, I hope to continue to dispel these stereotypes, both through my work with the MSA and through my personal interactions with people.” – Sundus Tameez

Bio: I am a Pakistani Muslim, born and raised in Memphis, TN. I am currently a freshman at Emory University, hoping to major in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology or in Psychology, and to minor in Arabic. In the future, I hope to work in dispelling the myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illnesses, both in our Muslim communities and in the U.S. Also, I have a weird obsession with NPR’s Serial and the Food Network (though, unfortunately, I lack the culinary skills).