On Sunday, April 22, Le Moyne student Anwar Sabiha received the inaugural “Club President of the Year” award at the President’s Banquet in the James Commons. She was recognized for her work as president of the Muslim Student Association.

“I was both shocked and honored,” Sabiha said. “All the club presidents on campus work hard to make their group special. Even though there was only one award, everyone in that room deserved to be ‘Club President of the Year.’”

Sabiha, a junior English major with a concentration in education, notes that the primary goals of the Muslim Student Association (M.S.A.) are to put together events and to talk about Islam as a whole.

“We discuss how we can better ourselves as Muslims,” Sabiha said. “We’re always growing and learning.”

Part of that discussion typically involves misconceptions of Islam.

“My advice to others is don’t stay in the dark,” Sabiha said. “Since 9/11, there have been so many bad views and wrong interpretations regarding Islam. Be informed about it as much as possible.”

This year, as president, Sabiha decided to change the structure of the club’s meetings.

“Every member brings in a short verse from the Quran and we read from that and the Hadith before the club announcements,” she said. “It brings religion to our meetings so that it’s not just business. I wanted the meetings to actually have meaning.”

Although the M.S.A. plan a variety of events throughout the year, it typically focuses on charity events.

“In the fall, we host Pink Hijab Day,” Sabiha explained, “which is a global day when Muslims help support breast cancer awareness. We then host events for Autism Awareness Month in the spring.”

In the near future, Sabiha hopes to go into elementary and special education, and subsequently influence the next generation of students.

“I want to help children grow up into well-rounded human beings,” Sabiha said, “so they can make a better future. My brother has autism, so I also have a comfort zone with special education.”

Overall, Sabiha is thrilled about her role as the president of M.S.A. and the possibilities offered by such a position.

“I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to take this role,” she said. “Any chance I get to educate others about Islam, I do it in a heartbeat. My religion is everything to me and I hold Allah close to my heart.”