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List Organizational
Experience within the MSA-UMD (include positions, responsibilities, and
accomplishments, please be specific, outlining in
detail what you individually did/accomplished):
I volunteered in the Unity in Diversity Dinner by managing the food for two of
the tables. I made sure that the food never ran out, and that everything that
was needed at the tables was present. Also, I arrived early so that I could help
out in the kitchen as well. I helped label the trays and made sure that
everything was organized before it was actually time to serve dinner.
List Work/Volunteer
Experience (include positions, responsibilities
and accomplishments in other organizations on or off campus)
I started holding halaqas at
my house recently. About every two weeks, around ten girls around 13 years old
come to my house, and we discuss different topics in Islam that relate to their
everyday life. I usually find hadiths, and I discuss them, and then broaden on
the topic and give them advice. Also, each time, I try something new to keep the
girls interested, while also teaching them the essentials.
What are your organizational strengths? Weaknesses?
I am a very organized person,
and seldom lose my papers or forget appointments. I have found that I work
better when I am organized, so I will usually have a place and time set for
everything, before I actually start working on a project. Also, I pay attention
to details, which is important when organizing an event because every small
detail must be planned.
My weakness would be that I
might run out of different and diverse topics for the education events, however,
I know that I can always ask people what they are interested in hearing, and so
this problem can be solved easily.
How do you cope and work
under pressure (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life
examples/situations)?
I work pretty well under
pressure because I am able to calm myself down very easily. First of all, I tend
to avoid stressful situations because I’m not a procrastinator, and since I
start my work early, I usually finish early. Then, if a problem arises, I have
time to think of a rational solution, and am not pressurized into making rash
one because a deadline is approaching.
Anyone who has been in a class with me knows that this is true because when
there is an exam, I will start studying a week or two before. This means that
the night before, I will just review my notes, and touch up on any specific
details, but I won’t be worried; unlike most other people; who will be cramming.
How well do you multi task
(please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life
examples/situations)?
Since I baby-sit all the
time, I have become very good at multi tasking. A lot of times, I am left in
charge of about seven kids, and I have to watch all of them, even though they
are in different parts of the house, and also do my own chores at the same time.
These experiences have taught me to open my mind and take advantage of resources
around me, so that I am able to focus and complete multiple tasks all at once.
How do you deal with
criticism (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life
examples/situations)?
Like anyone else, I don’t
like criticism, but if given politely, I am open to it because I acknowledge
that I am not perfect, and most likely, there are areas in which I can approve
in. My ultimate goal is to help the MSA as much as possible, and therefore, I am
open to ideas of ways in which I can do things differently. Also, if I am doing
something wrong, I want people to tell me, so that I can correct myself and not
make the same mistake again.
What will your schedule
look like in the 2009-2010 school year? How many hours can you dedicate to the
MSA if you are elected? List any external factors such as parents, school, or
work that might inhibit your work.
In the 2009-2010 school year,
I plan to take Organic chemistry, two biology classes, two honors history
seminars, and an honors composition class inshallah. I will be able to dedicate
time to the MSA since I will only be taking about 14 credits each semester.
What does MSA mean to you?
Why are you getting involved with MSA, other than the fact that you were
nominated?
MSA means a lot to me, which
is why I was involved in it in high school, and remain involved in it in
college. To me, it represents the essence of the brotherhood of Islam, and I
know from experience that if the MSA board truly works together for the good of
the rest of the Muslims at school, than many people start experiencing a feeling
of unity, and I want to make this possible for as many people as possible. I
love meeting other Muslims and being able to connect with them. Also, I always
learn more about Islam from other Muslims, and this is also another way for me
to remind myself to stay on the right path, and to learn more everyday.
What do you feel the MSA
executive board positions you are running for entails, and why do you feel you
are capable of holding such a position?
I am running for the outreach position on the
board, and I think this entails organizing interesting yet informative topics
concerning Islam that can benefit the Muslims at UM-D, along with ensuring that
Friday Jummah Prayer is available to students on a weekly basis. I believe that
everyone can improve themselves, and it is the outreach board member?s job to
ensure that help is always available. Also, it is essential to reach out to
non-Muslims as well in pursuit of spreading understand of Islam as a whole.
What are the main reasons
you want to be elected as an MSA executive board member? Include future plans
you have in respect to the position.
I have always been interested
in being an active member of the MSA, and if I get elected to this position, I
plan to organize educational events that relate to the Muslims and non-Muslims
on campus, and can teach them lessons that they can use in their everyday lives.
Also, I want to increase attendance to these events by publicizing more, and
also having topics that people are interested in listening to.
If you lose the elections,
what will your course of action be towards the organization (please specify)?
If I lose this election, I
will still be a member of the MSA, and volunteer whenever possible. I want to be
involved in the MSA whether I have a position or not, so I will still be an
active participant in the events.
If you are elected, will
your parent(s) be supportive of your work with the organization?
My parents know that I love
being involved in MSA, so they will be supportive and let me attend the meetings
and events. Also, since I am good at utilizing all my time, I won’t encounter
the problem of not having enough time to complete my course work because of my
MSA responsibilities inshallah, and they know this, so they will be encouraging.
What do you feel are the
strengths and weaknesses of MSA-UMD?
I feel the strengths are that
the MSA-UMD really tries to connect to the Muslims on campus, and this is good
because then, the events are fun, and people like getting involved. Also, the
events are diverse; some are on campus and others are off, so this way,
different events appeal to different people, but all the events are accessible
to everyone.
However, I feel that there
isn’t enough publicizing, so a lot of people don’t come to the meetings. If more
people attended the meetings, the MSA-UMD could have more input about what
people wanted, and cater to them as needed.
Have you fully read & understood the constitution, have you specifically
understood your duties/responsibilities?
Yes, I have read and
understood the constitution, especially the education chair’s duties.
How well do you work with
others? Give an example of when you led a team and how you delegated
responsibilities and ensure team cohesiveness.
When I volunteered at the
Unity in Diversity dinner, I was in charge of about ten other people, all of who
where older than me, since I was supposed to manage two different tables. They
all worked with me, and almost no problems arose. This is because when there is
a problem, I am willing to listen so that I can come up with a solution. I don’t
like passing the responsibility to others, and therefore, I will usually help
everyone to the best of my ability.
Which Islamic school of
thought do you subscribe to, and what is you viewpoint in regards to other
schools of thought?
I am a Sunni, and I follow
the Hanfi school of thought. I have a lot of friends who are different though,
including Shi’as and Ahmadies, and I think this proves that I am open to
different people with different beliefs. In my opinion, I have no right to judge
other people, there belief is between Allah and the individual, but I do love
learning the other view, because I think that the first step to avoiding
conflict is understanding the other side’s view. |
