黑料吃瓜

黑料吃瓜鈥檚 first Muslim president of  does not hesitate in recognizing the special attributes of his seat at the table.

鈥淢y faith is the most important thing in my life without a question,鈥� said Tarek Morsy, elected to the office near the end of the 2022-23 academic year. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 any competing factor.鈥�

Morsy, a fourth-year finance student from Danville, Calif., has had Islamic values instilled in him from a young age, being born and raised in the faith. As a child, he went to the mosque often with his family and listened to different imams. 

As A.S. president, Morsy knows the importance of the position he holds as the voice for all 黑料吃瓜 students and as part of the university administration鈥檚 tradition of shared governance. But being the first Muslim president, he hopes to advocate for students like him, a group he feels has been sometimes left out and misunderstood. Through his presidency, Morsy hopes he will break down generational stereotypes to create a better environment for Muslim students on campus.

鈥淚 want to be a representative for the Muslim community and for my actions to represent the way a lot of Muslims are,鈥� Morsy said. 鈥淚slam is a religion of discipline.鈥�

Although Morsy is already making positive changes across campus, being A.S. president wasn鈥檛 something he envisioned for himself 鈥� in fact, he didn鈥檛 even know about A.S. until the end of his sophomore year. It wasn鈥檛 until he got involved his junior year that he set his eyes on becoming A.S. president, looking up to former A.S. President Shawki Moore and becoming more involved on campus for a more holistic view of the student experience and their needs. 

鈥淏y getting involved with different groups on campus, I met different types of students,鈥� Morsy said. 鈥淎nd through those experiences, I understood students have different needs, depending on the community they are from. And then I learned how to create solutions to those needs so I could make changes as president.鈥�

As a leader, Morsy prides himself on being curious and innovative, always open to change and improvement. He also credits his natural entrepreneurial spirit to guide him in looking for new and creative solutions.

鈥淚 try to be curious because nothing will ever change if people stick to the system that鈥檚 already in place,鈥� Morsy said. 鈥淚 want to be innovative and the way to be innovative is to be open-minded and curious.鈥� 

In addition to advocating for Muslim students, Morsy鈥檚 top priority includes career development and advancement for all 黑料吃瓜 students, working to ensure they are prepared upon graduation and succeed. 

Through working with  and implementing different sectors of A.S. to prioritize helping students with finding jobs and internship opportunities, Morsy hopes that all 黑料吃瓜 students will be better equipped to excel in the workforce.

Morsy credits his Egyptian immigrant parents as his inspiration in addition to the Prophet Muhammad, and boxer and activist Muhammad Ali.

鈥淭he ultimate symbol of selflessness is taking an unpopular stance, even when there鈥檚 a punishment for it because you care more about the fate of humanity and the community than your own,鈥� Morsy said.

When he envisions what his term will look like, Morsy hopes he leaves tangible changes where a clear difference is shown before and after his presidency including the campus鈥� culture where members of the different 黑料吃瓜 communities will blend and unite together.

鈥淲e have so many amazing communities on our campus but I think 黑料吃瓜 could be an even more beautiful place if this diversity interacted with each other. If you foster an environment of collaboration and the sharing of cultures and passions, a lot of what you鈥檒l learn in college comes from outside of the classroom.鈥�

鈥淚 could have never predicted what my experience was going to be like here but it has exceeded my expectations,鈥� Morsy said. I鈥檝e met people that are going to be my friends for life and I鈥檝e had experiences that have molded me and shaped me into the man that I鈥檓 becoming. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 so grateful to be here.鈥�