List organizational experience within the MSA-UMD (include positions, responsibilities, and accomplishments, please be specific, outlining in detail what you individually did/accomplished):

In the 2009/2010 school year, I was the Brotherhood chair of the MSA-UMD E-board. It was my responsibility to schedule and plan monthly socials, community service events, and the culminating event of the year the Film Fest. Alhamdulilah, thanks also to the help of the sisterhood chair I was able to accomplish several successful socials including: The Eid Social, the Ski Trip, and the Trip to the DIA. As for community services, several events were planned and turned out quite well. The Film Fest will be coming up in April, and InshAllah that will also go well.

List work/volunteer experience (include positions, responsibilities and accomplishments in other organizations on or off campus)

In high school, I was editor of the News letter and a class representative for Student Government. In high school I also did 200+ community service hours at various institutions in order to help give back a little to the community. I have also been doing research at a pathology lab for the last two years, where I am gaining hands-on experience in many of the minute details of my chosen field of study. On campus I have been a fairly active student. In my freshman year, I was hired as an Orientation Leader to help the admissions office in attracting new students. I was also hired as a Supplemental Instruction leader for the Science Building to help students who are struggling in their science courses.

What are your organizational strengths? Weaknesses? 

I am a responsible/dependable person who always makes sure that the job gets done. Many times if there is a lull in the work people might begin to slack off a little; however, I try to keep myself on my toes to find a solution to the problem that we as a group might be facing or to find something interesting or attractive that we might be able to use. One of my strongest points is that I am able to cope well with people, and I strive to make event the most trying times enjoyable. Since we all know that no one is perfect, I have several flaws. At the top of my list I am hasty and like things to be taken care of right away, and this could potentially lead to a minor argument. However, after my year of experience as an E-boarder, I feel that I can help use that flaw and make it into a plus for the organization.

How do you cope and work under pressure (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life examples/situations)?

I am relatively comfortable working under pressure. As any pre-med student will tell you, we constantly live under pressure due to the many requirements needed to enter medical school. However, even though I am under a lot of pressure I still produce good results. The premier example is the week before spring break. That week I had several exams, a presentation, a paper, a family gathering, and MSA Film Fest planning to take care of. Alhamdullilah, I dealt satisfactorily, in my opinion, with all of these

How well do you multi task (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life examples/situations)?

I explained this in the question above, I multi-task relatively well juggling work, school, friends, family, and MSA all at the same times. Alhamdulillah I usually produce good results.

How do you deal with criticism (please answer in full thoughts/sentences providing real-life examples/situations)?

I deal with criticism very well. Just this year I was asked to plan a paintballing event as a social. Originally I tackled the task with enthusiasm, however I asked some of my fellow E-boarders for help and they agreed. I forgot, due mainly to my inexperience at the beginning of the year, to follow up with the E-board members to see if they completed their tasks. Sadly, the event did not go so well, and I was criticized for not taking as much initiative in that regards. I was then asked to plan the film fest, and I took that criticism into consideration and have pretty much solved all the difficulties that I faced before.

What will your schedule look like in the 2010-2011 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.

At the moment I am not sure how my schedule will look next year, but I will be taking anywhere between 14 – 16 credits. The only outside factor that might affect me will be school.

What does MSA mean to you? Why are you getting involved with MSA, other than the fact that you were nominated?

As a Muslim student on campus, I originally joined the MSA because of the many amenities I believed that they offered to the Muslim students including: weekly halaqas, weekly jummah prayer, iftar during Ramadan, Eid socials, the wudu area aka “the foot bath”, and the meditation room to name just a few. After spending a year on the MSA E-board, I feel that this organization has a very great potential that I will inshAllah try to tap into.

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?
As president of an organization, it is my job to follow up with my teammates, help plan events, guide them in their thought processes, help struggling board members, and to take the blame for an organizational failure. I believe that I am capable of holding this position because of my ability to see the good things in people and help them use that to their advantage. I also believe that the experience I gained this past year will be instrumental in helping me push this organization to even greater levels.

What are the main reasons you want to be elected as an MSA executive board member?

I want to be elected as an MSA E-board member because of the enjoyable time I had as an E-boarder this past year. I also feel that I have a certain set of skills that can be put to use in helping the improvement of this organization on campus.

Include future plans you have in respect to the position.

As president, I have two main issues on my agenda. First I want to improve the muslim and non-muslim student involvement in our organization. I will try to do this by helping my teammates facilitate educational events about MSA and about Islam that serve to attract your average UMD student. Second, I want to improve the organization itself. I feel that MSA can be one of the greatest organizations on campus, I hope to help it begin on its path to stardom.

If you lose the elections, what will your course of action be towards the organization (please specify)?

I will continue to be involved with MSA and I will run for election in the following year.

If you are elected, will your parent(s) be supportive of your work with the organization?
Yes, my parents support everything I commit to.

What do you feel are the strengths and weaknesses of MSA-UMD?

I have stated this many times, MSA-UMD is an outstanding organization with a lot of potential. I feel that their greatest strength comes from two main things. First the amenities that they provide to the student and second to the commitment of everyone who was and still is a part of this organization, these two things help to make up the majority of the strength of MSA. However as with anything there are some weaknesses. MSA-UMD lacks the membership necessary to make it a successful organization, that needs to be amended before any further steps are taken.

Have you fully read & understood the constitution, have you specifically understood your duties/responsibilities?
Yes I have fully read the constitution, and understand my specific responsibilities.

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.

Alhamdulillah, I work well with a team. From past experiences in team work, I usually take the lead and direct people. I try to work really hard to make sure people agree and work well with each other. This past year, we had some issues with one of our events and I worked with the E-board to help facilitate better communication between the E-board members.

Which Islamic school of thought do you subscribe to, and what is you viewpoint in regards to other schools of thought? 

 I am Sunni, and I follow the Shafi’ee Madhab. I take in all other schools of thought with an open mind, and I do not judge people by their beliefs, rather by their actions.