Getting accepted into college, especially an Ivy League college, is a huge deal for kids. And that all important application is really important to get right.
But for Princeton Day School senior, Ziad Ahmed, a passion for activism extended into his college applications and he decided to bring up the importance of his Muslim faith, in response to question on the Stanford University application, asking “What matters to you, and why?” And to his amazement he was accepted as a student saying that, “I didn’t think I would get admitted to Stanford at all, but it’s quite refreshing to see that they view my unapologetic activism as an asset rather than a liability.” It was not only the Stanford University application department which was impressed by his response but Muslim activists from throughout the nation. In fact Ahmed’s tweet about his experience has already been liked over 5000 times.
Ahmed went on to say that it is his Muslim faith that has compelled him to turn to social activism. “To me, to be Muslim is to be a BLM ally, and I honestly can’t imagine it being any other way for me. Furthermore, it’s critical to realize that one-fourth to one-third of the Muslim community in America are black … and to separate justice for Muslims from justices for the black community is to erase the realities of the plurality of our community.”
At the tender age of 18 Ahmed has already become known, having given a TedxTalk about the stereotypes Muslim teens face. He was invited to the White House’s Iftar Dinner, was put in charge of Martin O’Malley’s youth presidential campaign, was an intern on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and founded two youth organizations.
Oh and in addition to Stanford, he was also accepted to Princeton and Yale.