First, the basics! Tell us a little about yourself — where are you from, what do you study, and what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’m Delara. I’m from all over the place- Canada, Lebanon and Turkey, but my current happy home is Dunster (specifically the dining hall). I study Economics and Government, because I love applying quantitative rigor to solve (or at least understand) the problems of the social sciences. I spend 80% of my free time hanging out with my glorious friends, and 20% vegetating on my futon.
What are some of the extracurricular activities you are involved with on campus?
Extra-curriculars are my life! I’ve been heavily involved in everything from Student Government to Women in Business, but now I focus my efforts on Strong Women, Strong Girls, Delta Gamma, and my House Council. I really can’t spend enough time being inspired by my young girls, or infected with house spirit on Dunster HoCo. I’m so grateful for the leadership opportunities my activities have given me to grow and learn from my brilliant peers.
What would be your dream job after graduation?
My future is still delightfully open. Maybe I’ll go into business, government or non-profit. Whatever I do, I just want to know that I am making a substantive difference in the lives of others. Ideally, I’d like to make change on a macro scale, at a place like the World Bank, a national government, or even a major multinational corporation.
What does female empowerment mean to you?
Female empowerment is the opportunity to reach all those faraway dreams that women aspire to because there aren’t any institutional barriers (laws, sexist people etc) in their way. It’s the voice inside a young girl’s head that tells her she’s up for the challenge, even if society and the media tell her it can’t be done. On a more personal note, it’s the generations of women in my family, who lived the Middle East and still managed to be well-educated, smart and fierce role models to me.
How do you think SWSG encompasses female empowerment?
We’re all tied up in this web that SWSG calls “cycles of mutual empowerment.” Our college mentors share their determination and their individuality with the young girls they mentor. They are role models of how hard work and a good attitude can get you places no matter where you came from. In turn, our girls teach us to live a little, smile a lot, and inspire us with their unmatched spirit and abundance of kindness. Meanwhile, we form a community of college mentors at Harvard where we feel safe to discuss the unique challenges and joys of being a woman, and how we can possibly convey even a small part of it to the girls we mentor!
How do you plan to carry out the mission next year and after graduation?
I’m hooked. SWSG has made me see cycles of mutual empowerment in all of my strong female networks. Of course I’ll continue with SWSG until I graduate, but afterwards I can’t imagine stopping mentoring. I’ll look into programs like Big Sister, and formal or informal opportunities in my workplace to be a mentor to younger women. And hey, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from SWSG, it’s the value of having a mentor. I will always be on the lookout for strong female figures who can impart some of their awesomeness on me.
What do you think all girls should know and believe in?
Themselves. Their voices. Their value. Their innate abilities and their capacity to love and be loved.
My most moving SWSG moment was when a young, shy girl who could barely get herself to form words in front of the group when we first began, stood up on the last day of programming and told us what she had learned. “I learned that I have a voice, and my voice matters.”
All girls need to believe in that voice, and whether they use it to shout in front of roaring crowds at political rallies, negotiate at a board meeting or just raise their hands and share their thoughts in class, SWSG has made me believe in the power of a girl’s voice.