Against All Odds
Hajer Al-Faham, ’11, is making a difference while fighting cultural stereotypes.
For Hajer Al-Faham, her life changed dramatically on Sept. 11, 2001.
Al-Faham is a first generation Iraqi who experienced firsthand heightened fears and stereotyping of Muslims that followed in the hours and days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In a matter of hours Al-Faham went from a popular 8th grader to invisible.
“Every friend I had stopped talking to me, teachers too.
One teacher asked if I’d like to apologize to the class for what happened that morning,” she recalls.
Al-Faham could have retreated but instead chose to face the hatred that she was subjected to head on. She began volunteering and enrolled in Running Start, a program that gives high school students the opportunity to take college courses prior to graduation
Read more of Hajer’s story.
Stacy Howard, Seattle U News.