"I was born in Memphis and have been living here my whole life. I think American Muslim youth in general are at a crossroads. In order to assure that we can do what’s best for our future generations, I believe that it’s important we never lose sight of the fact that we are all brothers and sisters in Islam. While contemporary culture espouses the virtues and ideals of individualism, we would do well to remember that we are all one Ummah, and that means we should be there for each other to celebrate our successes and help each other overcome our failures. In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to lose touch with the community. I think we should do everything we can to make sure that we a
"I'm a product of the former Memphis City Schools system, and I currently go to University of Memphis now. I've grown up and lived in this city my whole life, and I love it dearly. It has made me want to make a difference in the community that has given me so much. I want our city to have a fiber-optic gigabit broadband network, because our city has so many strengths, like a phenomenal medical district and a great musical history, but I also know it could benefit our city to help the underserved communities here. I've had to meet with our elected public officials and community stakeholders. It was never my intention to jump into making sure my peers vote and to get them to watch what goes do
"I've been singing since I popped out of the womb... My mom used to always tell me stories about how I would stand up on the kitchen table and sing opera songs in the mornings. At first, it was just a hobby-- but then I got involved in the theatre department at Germantown High School. My mom was my main encouragement: she always believed in my talents and that, if I worked hard enough, I could make my dreams come true. She let me stay active in Theatre and Music and encouraged me to audition for theatre/music scholarships for college. I definitely feel the support from my whole family in pursuing my passion in college. I hope everyone has a passion in their life that helps them express thems
"I'm proud of growth; spiritually, mentally, and maturity. Allah makes us go through things, to grow through things. We all have struggles that define who we are, and I can say that I overcame my biggest obstacles, and I found myself. Alhamdulillah! I don't like "planning" or thinking about the future too often. I learned to just go with the flow. I have goals, but I'm not pressing myself to achieve them; that's how you get disappointed. The Memphis ummah has always welcomed me with open arms. The support has been unending since I played basketball at U of M. Now that I work at PVS I officially feel a part of the Memphis ummah fam"- Bilqis Abdul-Qadir
