Today’s #MovementMonday is on the inspiring Saheela Ibrahim. Due to her intelligence and her parent’s insistence, Saheela was able to skip several classes while she was in High School. Aside from excelling in her academic studies, as a senior at Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison Saheela was a three-sport athlete playing for the school’s softball team and soccer team alongside representing the swimming team in 50 metre races. She was also in the school choir, played trombone in the school band and served as the president of the school’s investment club.
When Saheela applied to college age 15, thirteen colleges accepted her including six of the eight Ivy League Schools (Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia and Brown). She eventually chose Harvard College where she began studying neurobiology age 16 and graduated in 2015 at the age of 20. While at college, Saheela was a member of the Harvard Islamic Society and worked with two other student groups, The Science Club for Girls which provided after school mentoring at the Amigos school in Cambridge and Dreamporte which uses 3-D technology to teach geography and world culture to foster children.
In addition to English, Saheela speaks four other languages including Spanish, Arabic, Latin and Yoruba. Age 16, she also was named to a list of ‘The World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers’. Lastly in 2015 she was invited to the White House where she introduced the President and First Lady at a reception to kick off Black History Month. Watch the video of President Obama speaking about Saheela below.
Saheela is exemplary of how much can be achieved with dedication and hardwork. Thank you for being an inspirational woman Saheela!
Love,
Muslimgirljournals
