5 Students Who are Record Makers
Name: Silai Mirzoy
Major: Biology
Year: Senior
Hometown: West Lafayette, Indiana
Silai, a self-starter in more ways than one, strongly believes that she can help drive the progress she wants to see in the world. This core ideal prompted her (and her close peers) to create a first-of-its-kind organization in the community for female Muslim youth. In 2010, she founded ICAN — an organization that helps youth develop their confidence, build their faith and serve their community.
“I was born in Afghanistan but have lived in West Lafayette for most of my life. I have experienced first-hand the struggles many Muslim girls have with their identity. So I wanted to show — and teach — that we can all be confident in who we are as individuals. ICAN came about as a result of this.”
“Throughout high school and college, I helped start a variety of programs. I particularly benefited from working with the World Food Programme’s War On Hunger and The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare’s (AMPATH) Imani Workshops, whose work benefits HIV positive patients in Kenya. I am often inspired by new possibilities.”
“Things that are new and complicated intrigue me. I know that I personally benefit from pushing towards change. I feel if I can impact others through my actions or see a void to fill, then I should act. I guess part of the drive also comes from my hyper-active tendencies!”
“I am working on a research project that explores the relationship between body image, breast cancer and perception of health within the Lebanese and Iranian female populations. This project is significant because it recognizes the unique nature of women’s perception of self and health in specific cultures — which you don’t see too often.”
“I have many goals. I want to build teaching hospitals for women and children in Afghanistan, work for the United Nations, help lower-income groups in the U.S — the list is long. On the other hand, I love being adventurous; current items on my bucket list include sky-diving, parasailing and mountain climbing!”
By Kinnari Sejpal
Photos by Andrew Hancock
Published June 2012
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