Marium - Portraits
"I'm passionate about changing perspectives on colourism towards women in my community. In Pakistani culture, the stigma is that light skinned women are considered more beautiful and significant, so being darker skinned is looked at as “unfavorable” for marriage, for beauty, etc. I’m passionate about this issue because skin color should not determine a persons worth. I want to empower women of color by spreading body and skin positively so that others feel empowered to be in their own skin."
Rachel - Dance Portraits
"When I was in first grade, I remember going to see "Aladdin the musical" at the community center and after that, I fell in love with the arts. From a young age, dance has given me the ability to express myself physically rather than verbally which is easier for me since I'm not very outgoing. It's also given me a community where I feel welcomed. I believe that dance can help others because it allows a person to show their true colors in an artistic way that cannot be told through words."
Sajid - Portraits
"Life is stressful in constantly evolving world that we live in today. We are all so constantly busy with moving forward, catching up on missed work, studying for our next exams, and being apart of extracurriculars. We always want to be the best in crowd, constantly striving to be at the top; but we forget to take a step back, breathe for a second, and relax. We forget to take care of ourselves and give time to ourselves to recharge. To me, in a world where we all want to be number 1, we should always remember to give time to ourselves whether it be 15 minutes or 6 hours because your own physical and mental health comes before anything."
Zobia - Senior Photos
"I want to highlight the challenges that come with the discrimination Muslim Americans face in society. Due to the false image the media has portrayed about Muslims, bias and resentment toward our community is prominent. I’m passionate about this issue because as a Muslim American I see the impact this stigma holds. Through education about Muslims and Islam, a change can occur as bias stems from misunderstandings and false representations. With this idea in mind, I hope to initiate more conversations and spread awareness about how genuine and significant Islam truly is."
Korisma - Dance Concept
"Korisma aims to inspire people by stepping out of our comfort zone and promoting confidence. As we began our journey, we saw the impact empowerment has within our dance community. We can all grow together. We want to hear each other's experiences and continue piecing each story together into a quilt that will hearten us as we develop. Korisma is a means of supporting, listening, and working together to motivate ourselves and others, truly showcasing the potential everyone has."
Ibraheem - Senior Photos
"There are millions of people in the world that are in poverty and are hungry. Many citizens of third world countries don't have access to clean water too. It's really hard to see that people out in the world can't get access to the basic needs of survival. We should collectively act knowing our privileges and be grateful for what we have."
Sherine - Senior Photos
"The misconception that women in Islam don’t have rights is something near and dear to my identity. Many people who are ignorant of the religion and its values believe that women are inferior to men in work, education, etc. when in reality, women have such a high rank in the religion. Women have been involved in law-making, teaching, government, etc. We have the right to our own finances, belongings and the list goes on. It is even said that paradise lies at the mother’s feet. I want to work on educating others on this beautiful aspect of religion."
Joeita - Portraits
"I love connecting with people. Hearing someone's stories or passions and seeing their eyes light up is a beautiful thing! We can learn so much from one another if we keep an open-mind and don't isolate ourselves from people with different religions, cultures, and beliefs."
Sucaad - Portraits
"I want to initiate the dialogue around the cultural incompetencies that some medical providers have when it comes to treating patients of color (primarily African Americans/Blacks). Having experienced a provider dismissing cultural/racial struggles and experiences that could impact my health, it’s an issue that I’m quite passionate about making a difference in so that others in the future don’t experience it. I want to make a change in the residency training and curriculum that doctors have to go through prior to becoming a certified doctor."
Fariba - Portraits
"Allowing yourself to indulge in your inner creativity is one of the best forms of self-care. Whenever I’m stressed out or feel overwhelmed I turn to various art forms as an escape from the stresses of life, and I immediately feel a wave of relief wash over me. It can be something small like painting, taking some pictures of the sunset, writing a poem, or trying a new make up look for the day. Creating something beautiful on your own and being proud of it is an amazing feeling. I think everyone should take the time to unleash their inner artist."