I don’t want to be involved.

I’m tired of defending myself, my faith, my ethnicity.

I just want to chill. I want to go out with friends, I want to study, I want to help people. BUT NOT RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. Just let me keep my faith to myself.

That’s the mindset I had entering University, andddd that didn’t last long. I couldn’t pry myself from the Muslim community, I felt compelled to help, to reaffirm my identity.

It was odd how things just kind of fell into place, being President of the Muslim Student’s Association, becoming an Interfaith Intern; it was all so unintended, so consciously unwanted, and then somehow needed. I couldn’t picture myself without it, and yet I always felt like I wasn’t a typical president.
I would have never pictured myself in the position I am now, heading to law school, leaving University of Rochester a Religion major, with loads of Religious extracurriculars behind.

When I came to IFYC this summer I was asked to write my interfaith story, to tell what compelled me to do this work, and I realized there was no definitive answer. I could pull together a story, pick up bits and pieces from my life that surely did influence me to further become involved, but my life is much more dynamic than that. All my interests blended into one and interfaith work just so happened to be a great outlet to help others and find myself along the way.

I was sitting with Caryn, another intern, the other day when she said, “I would be the happiest if a few years down the line my job isn’t needed anymore. If I can say that the issue that I was fighting for has been resolved and I don’t have a job anymore. It would be incredible if i was put out of work.” I was so taken aback by that genuine statement and realized that I would take one million and one lessons from this internship.

I soak up the knowledge from my fellow interns, from IFYC staff and will carry it through to the next endeavor, whatever that will be….