Sana Farhat, a senior Supply Chain and Logistics major with a pre-med minor, shares how she revived the Muslim Student Association in her role as president.
When Sana Farhat got to campus her first year, she noticed there was something missing. She wanted to make friends who shared her religious beliefs and create a community surrounding the religion of Islam. After noticing that the Muslim Student Association was not active, she decided to change that.
Sana went to work by gathering students to participate in the club and attend events.
“I wanted to make religion fun, interesting, and create a friendly environment for my peers to practice. To do that, I started hosting both religious and social events for the club. After hosting some events and getting the club up and running, we now have about 80 members in the club and get 35-40 people to attend our events,” she explains.
But that’s not all. Sana noticed another area of growth for the Muslim Student Association.
“The prayer room we had at first was very small. Only four people were allowed in at a time. I wanted to secure a big enough space for people to be comfortable to come and pray. I worked with the SJICR [Rowan’s Social Justice, Inclusion and Conflict Resolution office] to secure a bigger room in Savitz Hall. That was one of my biggest accomplishments as president,” Sana says.
With more room to pray and practice, Sana has been able to organize some great events for the organization.
“We celebrate Ramadan, which is a month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is about spiritual growth and feeling blessed for what you have. To celebrate, we break our fast together by sharing a meal.”
Sana is proud of how the club has grown these past few years. “By the end of their college career, I want the members of the club to look to back and be grateful they had a space to practice their religion and make friends.”
See our 2021 video with Sana and the Muslim Student Association here:
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Story by:
Loredonna Fiore, senior public relations and advertising major
Photos provided by:
Sana Farhat