Ishaq, a Dean’s List student from Avon, Connecticut, will graduate in May with an anthropology major and minors in education and Middle Eastern and Islamic World studies. He is pleased to be designated as a GOLD Scholar again this year.

Noting that he “never really expected to get into Hamilton,” he recognizes that the College saw something that led them to believe he could be successful. “One thing I have learned while being here is that I have something to offer. Coming to Hamilton and doing better than I expected has really given me more confidence. This allows me to strive for even greater things in the future than I may have previously thought were unattainable.”

He credits Assistant Professor of Anthropology Haeng-Ja Chung with helping him settle on his major. “She really pushes her students to think critically and not take anything at face value. She structures her classes around discussions, which often leave me thinking far beyond the hours of class.” Due to generous funding from the Anthropology Department, Ishaq had the opportunity to spend this past summer doing fieldwork in various mosques in the Northeast as part of his Senior Anthropology project. Ishaq also managed to take his education to Rabat, Morocco, in the spring of 2015. While there, he improved his Arabic language skills, and learned about Arab, Amazigh, French and Spanish culture. He says, “I managed to develop relationships with some Moroccans, conversing with them solely in Arabic, which is something I never knew I would be able to do”

President of the Muslim Student Association, Ishaq is also a founder of the All Beliefs Union, a student organization “which aims to create a safe space where people of all different beliefs can come together to engage in meaningful dialogue to find common ground.” This year, he is a Student Chapel Fellow, working directly with Chaplain Jeff McArn on a variety of initiatives. He spearheads the Spirituality Inquiry, a new informal group that provides students with an organized, on-campus outlet to discuss their spirituality questions. He has also volunteered with Project SHINE, helping local refugees learn English. This opportunity has been particularly profound for Ishaq. “I have really developed meaningful relationships with a few of the refugees. It is important to me that they succeed in what they are trying to do in order to live a better life. Seeing them so eager to learn serves as a healthy reminder for me to not take my Hamilton education for granted.”

Following graduation, he hopes to pursue more in-depth studies in Islam through service or additional education. “I hope that whatever I go into allows me to develop myself while helping others.”