This year marks the beginning of the Muslim Student Association on campus. Mona Galeb, a junior nursing major, and Ashwaq Aldhuraibi, a sophomore psychology major, are the founders and leaders of this new group with Noah Lederach, academic coach, who serves as the faculty advisor.
“We came up with the idea during the spring of 2024, during a meeting regarding Gaza, with President Rebecca Stoltzfus, Gilbetro Perez Jr. [vice president for student life and Hispanic serving initiatives] and Jen Shenk [campus pastor],” Galeb and Aldhuraibi said in a joint email. “After this our process began and during the summer we finalized the set up of the club and found our adviser. There were struggles along the way, as it was difficult to manage who to contact along with finding an adviser.”Lederach said, “I was excited to have the opportunity to be the faculty advisor for the Muslim Student Association because it gave me an opportunity to expand my own understanding of Muslim culture.”
This support helped establish the new MSA which was able to have a table at the club fair during welcome week. Lederach said that the MSA is open “not just for muslim students, but also for advocates and allies.”
“Our goal is to create a diverse and inclusive campus environment by connecting Muslims and non-Muslims, educate the campus about Islamic beliefs and practices, spread awareness of Islamic contributions to global culture, and foster meaningful connections among students,” Galeb and Alduraibi said in their email.
They went on to share that they have received continued support from people on campus. The MSA hopes to foster a welcoming environment on Goshen’s campus.
In their email, Galeb and Aldhuraibi said that the best “way to get involved is by attending the events. We also hope to collaborate with other groups to spread more awareness.”
