I feel more confident in my leadership skills and more importantly, I am eager to continue my growth as an effective leader as continue to progress in my career.

I am a proud Nigerian-American woman who grew up in a dual-religion household in North Carolina. Growing up in the South to immigrant parents that had to face certain racial, ethnic, and economic struggles due to their decision to seek a better life gave me an early understanding for how “being different” can be viewed by some in this country. I also learned the value of hard work, the beauty of being unique, and the benefits of having a rich heritage. I have challenged myself to live in different cities in the U.S., to travel to unique countries, and to apply for significant positions and programs like the Islamic Speakers Bureau Leadership Institute (ISBLI). I wanted to gain more experience in conflict resolution, non-profit management, transformative leadership, and network building.

Throughout the program, our 2020 ISBLI class had a variety of valuable sessions with a number of high-level speakers on topics from Personal Leadership to Leadership Principles – Nonprofit Governance & Management. The academic approach of each session was complemented by the discussions offered from effective leadership practitioners dedicated to the improvement of our community. We strengthened our understanding of peace and strong institutions through the collective belief in the power of global and local partnership to reduce inequalities in order to transform our world for the better. This mindset was consistently presented throughout ISBLI and enhanced our ability to be sustainable change makers in our local communities.

Through the group project, I had the opportunity to work closely with incredible team members to further amplify the great work of the Georgia Muslim Voter Project. This group experience not only built my own network, but reestablished for me the true strength in collaboration and partnership. I fully believe that through this program I am able to tap into my full potential and I now feel worthy of calling myself an active community leader. I more feel confident in my leadership skills and more importantly, I am eager to continue my growth as an effective leader as continue to progress in my career. I know that many years into the future, I will be thinking about my time in this program and about the paths that I choose due to this experience.