Saarah Javed

Sophomore government and politics major; founder of the Youtube series Chai Time Lessons that offers beginner Urdu lessons to those seeking to speak and write in the language.

“There’s this thing that happens when you don’t speak proper Urdu. When you go back to Pakistan or when you speak with your parents, you start to feel a sense of inferiority. There becomes a rift – you start to either want to really learn or you start to shun it and speak only English.” 

“Just by teaching the language, which is only one aspect of a society, it opens doors upon doors upon doors to that society.”

“The Urdu is one part, but then the other big part will be ‘The Cultural Corner.’ I will be showing taboo subjects in Pakistani culture. Things one always had insecurities about, like why is light-skinned valued? All these different things, things that people are pissed about and are insecure about, I’ll be addressing these issues.”

Irsa Sarkawi

Senior biochemistry major; social change education intern for TerpService at the Leadership and Community Service- Learning Office. 

“I’m the kind of person that can’t just be stuck in science. I need to be able to balance it out. Rarely do we talk about science in an empathetic and worldly view, so I needed something else that had to do with people.”

Rebecca Sommer Singshinsuk

Model and senior triple major in accounting, supply chain management, and fashion merchandising, an individualized major designed in the individual studies program.

“I didn’t feel like one major could cover what I wanted to do in life. I wanted to understand every aspect of the retail industry. By having all three majors, I’m more well-rounded and I’m more fit to attack any aspect of the business industry, whether it’s financial statements or fabrics.”

“I always want to do more. I strive to do better everyday because I literally want to do everything. I like to make things happen for me, because as a woman, I understand that things are difficult in the business world and I didn’t want any stereotypes or glass door expectations to prevent me from excelling.”

“No man is gonna stand in my way. I’m going to be the breadwinner.”

Jatara McGee

Miss Maryland Collegiate America 2015 (representing Maryland in the national pageants) and executive director and co-founder of Stories Beneath the Shell (SBS) News and a senior broadcast journalism major. 

“They are very different roles. In the journalism world, sometimes I have to leave my heart behind. I’m trying to show the full picture. I can use my heart a whole lot more in pageantry than I can in journalism.”

“The pageantry is much more than a competition. We’re representing different causes and advocating for them, but with journalism, I’m not advocating for anything.”

“In pageantry, your name and your face represents a brand. It’s all about building this idea of who you are and what you stand for, but in journalism, it’s about having your stories speak louder than your voice. You want your stories to say more about you than your name does.”

A Woman’s Worth

A female empowerment and community service group that was founded in 2005. The group participates in the Red Dot Campaign, which donates feminine products to homeless women.

“Our mission is to empower the women of our community and to talk about things that need to be talked about.”

Lucy A. Dalglish

Professor and dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. 

“Juggling alligators, that’s what I do. I juggle alligators.”

“I basically make sure that everything runs, that the budget is balanced, that the classes are taught, that the faculty is qualified, that the curriculum is meeting the needs of employers and students, and I make sure that we’re bringing in enough money to keep the lights on … oh and I referee disputes.”

“I was a reporter and editor in Minnesota, I was a trial lawyer in Minneapolis, then for quite a few years I ran a non-profit [The Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press] that did legal defense and advocacy for journalists working all over the country.”

Abisola Kusimo

Spoken word artist and a senior mechanical engineer major. 

On why she chooses to pursue both poetry and mechanical engineering: “I don’t think the two are necessarily mutually exclusive. As cliche as it sounds, ultimately what I want to do is help people and also make the biggest impact I can among disadvantaged people. And whether that’s by finding ways to bring electricity to communities that never had it before or speaking out on issues that young girls face everyday. In a way, I was hoping to combine both of them. I know they’re completely separate, but I try to bring them together as often as I can.”

“I also think that it is very important that engineers find a way to express themselves. Even if it’s not by way of poetry; we still need to put more emphasis on engineers, or even stem majors in general, being able to communicate their ideas effectively.”

Aiyah Sibay is a sophomore English literature major and can be reached at ak_sibay@hotmail.com.