Hirra Farooqi is in her second year of Journalism here at Ryerson University, with an impressive track record in terms of involvement. She’s involved in the Ryerson Orphan Sponsorship Program and is the first ever Outreach Director for the Ryerson Muslim Students’ Association.
Name: Hirra Farooqi
Age: 19
Program: Journalism, second year
Nicknames: Heera, Heerz, Nickihijab
Claims to Fame: Spoken word and wild snapchat story skits.
Ultimate key to being motivated: My friends and siblings are really supportive of everything I do so having them around is my main motivation to keep doing me.
As an executive on the Orphan Sponsorship Program as well as the Outreach Director for the Ryerson Muslim Students’ Association (RMSA), how do you want to use your roles [..] to change the narrative that is often thrown around [about Muslims] in the media?
My roles in the Orphan Sponsorship Program and the RMSA do not have much to do with any narrative that is often thrown around in the media. For the Orphan Sponsorship Program, it is an emotional attachment. I just really want to make a difference and give other kids around the world an opportunity. [In regards to the] RMSA, I’m the Outreach Director, and I’ve seen some issues that I wanted to see a change for. The MSA happened to reach out to me during a time where my faith was on the down low, and I got somewhat back on track with my spirituality, by getting involved in a community full of Muslims.
I want to make sure that as an outreach director, RMSA is welcoming to everyone. Practicing Muslims or not, racialized Muslims, and generally Muslims that are often left out from your typical MSA image. Everyone deserves that safe place and opportunity to share their beliefs and feel safe in a community that is supposed to be theirs. I guess these aspects could work in challenging or changing the narrative in the media. It could be seen that Muslims, specifically Muslim women, aren’t small and oppressed. Instead, they’re out here trying to fight oppression and make the world a better place. But, personally, I wouldn’t be happy with that narrative being glorified because this isn’t me “making the world a better place”, this is me just doing what I should be doing. Helping those that I can with the resources I have, and more importantly, using my privilege to make sure there are safe and open spaces for others.
Describe your Ryerson experience in one word.
*Hirra’s favourite adjective
If you can tell your first year self something important, what would it be and why?
So, first year was quite an experience for myself. I was very much involved during my senior year of highschool. I knew right away that I wanted to be involved in university- especially, in first year.
The past experience of anxiousness followed me to my first year at Ryerson. Since I am a Journalism student, I decided to write my first piece of Journalism (which was for marks, yikes) on Charity Week hosted by the RMSA. I had it all planned out, I wanted to interview the MSA president at the time. Maybe, another RMSA exec for an easy quote. Due to that failed attempt of getting very basic interviews that I needed and seeing how big the RMSA was, I avoided going to any MSA events and getting involved in my first semester. Until, the RMSA reached out to me, in the very beginning of second semester, and gave me the opportunity to not only be a part of their events but also host one. This was honestly very uplifting because truthfully during first year, I felt really small and didn’t think my presence would have even been acknowledged, let alone have an impact. After that, I finally got involved, in whatever way my passion drove me.
Looking at that aspect and realizing that growth, I would really just want to look myself in the eye and let my first year self know that I can do whatever I really want to do. That I shouldn’t let my anxiety stop me from doing so. There will be instances where it seems like my anxiety is seeping back into my life but that’s just part of the journey. It doesn’t affect the levels of what I will be able to accomplish. I might be small in size but I have a loud personality that has full potential to not only do what’s right for myself but an entire community on campus (through the RMSA) and an entire community overseas (through OSP). I got this.
If you could be an item of clothing, what would you be and I?
If I could be an item of clothing, I would be the hijab/headscarf. For me, the hijab is not only an act of worship, but in this day and age of rampant Islamophobia, it’s also an act of bravery and courage. Everyone has their own personal meaning of what the hijab is to them. I was a hijabi and for myself it meant that as a Muslim, it was an act of worship. As an independent woman, it was a decision that I consciously made and I am proud of making because it continues to help me grow as an individual and a Muslim. It may seem like it’s just a piece of cloth for many but for me it’s so much more. Just this simple piece of cloth holds so much meaning and so many stories that perfectly describes me or anyone else, really. As individuals we’re all full of hidden meanings and various stories.
You are a budding Journalist, studying in one of Canada’s top Journalism programs, when was the moment where you knew Ryerson Journalism was for you?
Ryerson was definitely one of my dream schools for Journalism, right after City University in London, England. I applied to 5 universities in England before applying to the three that I could with OUAC in Toronto. I received a few letters and booklets from City and my guidance councillor was in close contact with the Journalism head in City University, and I was really optimistic about getting accepted. They seemed really on-board because they were looking forward to accepting international students, but unfortunately my transcript wasn’t sent on time before the deadline which disqualified me from being accepted for their Journalism program. I was pretty upset, especially since I hadn’t heard back from Ryerson yet. I really didn’t want to settle for another choice.
A few weeks later, I finally got a call from the head of our Journalism program, she was going through my portfolio and decided to call me to talk about it. During that conversation, she asked me if I was looking into any other universities, and I answered honestly about how I was looking forward for City but it didn’t work out. That’s when she told me about how Ryerson actually has an exchange program for Journalism students to go to City for a semester, and that’s when I was like “yo, God really loves me.” Ryerson does have the best Journalism program in the country, but the fact that I still had the chance to go to both my dream schools without missing out on four years of Canada and missing my family. I was sold. I was just like, this is for me. Ryerson is for me. A few days later, I finally received my acceptance letter and I didn’t play hard to get. I accepted that offer so fast, Usain Bolt had nothing on me.
2 Fun Facts!
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I drowned when I was 4 years old and have been hydrophobic since. Any water going above my chest and you’ll find me hyperventilating
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The first time I ever tried sushi was this year.