College Sophomore Aya Saed in Morocco
Interviewed by Bailey Brown
BAILEY BROWN: Where did you grow up?
AYA SAED: I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia but both my parents are Sudanese. My family currently lives in DC.
BAILEY: How do you identify with the black community?
AYA: I always assumed that I just did, and it never crossed my mind until one day my best friend in high school told me that I’m not black. At Penn, I’ve struggled with that a lot, but I think ultimately I find myself making my own identity. No, I’m not American. But at the end of the day, I am very passionate about issues involving people affected by race and specifically Africans or people of African descent. And the black community here is very diverse, so I definitely identify with the community. Especially as an UMOJA board member, I find that I not only identify, but have learned to represent the community to the greater Penn community.
BAILEY: Have your academic or career interests changed since coming to Penn?
AYA: At one point I was really business oriented, now I want to [do] something involved with social change, something more substantive for the larger community, maybe working for government agencies abroad NGO, and development stuff abroad focused on foreign service and humanitarian aid.
BAILEY: What are you involved in on campus? What drew you to these organizations?
AYA: I’m currently on the boards for Race Dialogue Project (RDP), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and UMOJA. All of these organizations define who I am and represent me. I feel I can help draw in people I want to add in my opinion to change how students are impacted by these cultural and racially centered organizations.
BAILEY: How have you spent your summers? Have you had any internship experiences?
AYA: This past summer I went abroad, I received a CURF grant to do research in Spain and Morocco to study Muslim economies. Although interviewing individuals was difficult I ended up adjusting, and I even had the chance to meet religious and economic leaders and even make contacts in Philadelphia.
I worked with an advisor and we’re working on a film, which will incorporate my interviews. Though I’m still in the process of working on the film, the project is on the Islamic currency. I interviewed people that have helped to make it happen, people who want to change the currency as part of [a] religious movement. Eventually I hope collaborate with the research advisor to write a part of his book, which will also be researching Islamic currency.
In addition to the CURF research project, I also did an Arabic program abroad. I received a government program to study abroad [at] AMIDEAST.
This semester, I obtained a Bread [and] Roses internship through the Civic House. Bread and Roses gives money to organizations in Philadelphia for social change. My job is to help these organizations around the city. I do workshops for these organizations, for instance, setting up Penn Pal accounts for online fundraising. I also conduct workshops and the people who attend are important leaders in their communities, advocating around issues like gun control and AIDS awareness organizations. I’m able meet a lot of important community leaders, and I have to be updated on local Philadelphia news.
BAILEY: How was your experience as a female living abroad?
AYA: It was a bit hard in Morocco because I was alone for most of it, and had to adjust to men talking to me in the street from the onset. It took me a while to realize that there was nothing I could do but ignore the unwanted attention. I eventually realized that I needed to be a bit more conscious of what I wore and how I carried myself. I eventually became really close friends with someone who began helping work on my research in Fez. Whenever I went out, I would go with her and her family, which made me more comfortable.
BAILEY: How was life in Morocco?
AYA: It was amazing! You can do anything from visit the beach, to taking trips to the dessert, to hiking, to jumping into falls. I had an amazing time. And the people there are so kind; they go out of their way to ensure that you’re having a fabulous time.
BAILEY: Were you challenged in any way by your experience abroad?
AYA: I had to rely on my judgment a lot since I was by myself and there was very little in terms of communication with my parents. So if I was lost or confused I couldn’t just call someone. I had to really be confident in what I was doing, to be outgoing and just introduce myself to people. I also got much closer to God and realized that I wasn’t alone after all.
BAILEY: How did you get your parents to agree to this program?
AYA: They were never comfortable with it, but since I got money to go and most of the trip was planned, they couldn’t really say no. They trusted me and the fact that I wanted to do this for a purpose, and was supported by the University and advisor. It was a very difficult decision and it most definitely was a leap of faith.
BAILEY: How did you find this opportunity through CURF?
AYA: Through the PURM program. I talked to some of the advisors there and they showed me all the various options to pick from. I applied to a few other ones also.
BAILEY: What is CURF?
AYA: CURF provides mentoring and research opportunities for students that want to do fellowships or research. Penn students have a lot of option to pick from, and CURF not only informs students of the resources but also guides them through the process. Definitely a place everyone should take advantage of!
BAILEY: What are your plans for this upcoming summer?
AYA: I’m travelling to the Middle East through the Ibrahim Dialogue Project. So I’ll visit Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Israel/Palestine with a group of kids from the U.S. I will also be working for Google in Mountain View.
