My name is Myrna Yousuf and I am a senior at SLA. Coming to SLA as a freshman, I was scared. I was scared of coming to a new environment and meeting new people after being in one safe environment for the most of my life. I didn't know what to expect and I wasn't sure how I was going to make friends. I wasn't into the music or shows everyone was into. I came in thinking no one would like me. However, I was able to make friends with a lot of people. One thing that really changed about me from freshman year to now is how I much I have been involved in my religion. I was born Muslim but didn't really get into practicing it very seriously until my sophomore year. I was known as the girl with really long hair. People would love to braid my hair and touch it. It was a feature of me that really stood out and caught people's attention. However, after doing a lot of research on my religion and understanding it, I decided to wear the hijab my first day of sophomore year. I got many different reactions. Lots of people told me they missed my hair or they told
me to just take it off. Other people like my best
friend who is also a hijabi was very supportive of
my decision. The first month transitioning and
getting used to the hijab was a huge struggle. People were making me feel like I had made a wrong decision. There were days where I wanted to
take my hijab off because it made me feel ugly or
because of the things people were saying. I struggled with this part of me for a while.
Looking back at it, I see it as a struggle that has made me more stronger in my faith and in my religion. I realized that it's not easy being a Muslim and especially practicing hijab in the West. Hijab is always seen as something that is oppressive and a lot of people do not understand that most people choose to wear it. Hijab is not just about covering yourself up, it is about modesty, the way you carry yourself and how you treat others. Overall, it has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.
Myrna