Asalamu alykum (peace be upon you) and greetings to all!

My name is Ganna Al-Mansoub and I am a second year Masters student in the Near Eastern Languages program at Wayne State University (concentration in Arabic and Middle Eastern history). My main goal with embarking on this area of study is to eventually get my PhD in hopes of becoming a college professor, and working in academia. So far I have completed one year of the two-year program. Unfortunately, I had to put my last year on hold because I did not have the funds needed to pay for the remaining classes :( 

Second Eldest of Eight- Blazing the Trail:

As the second eldest of eight, I did not have the easiest childhood. With my parents being immigrants to the States, they both held very tightly to their Yemeni roots; they brought a lot of their Yemeni culture with them when they immigrated. Therefore, much of what was acceptable in western culture was not acceptable in our culture. Lo and behold, higher education was one of the main issues. 

Growing up, my family had a very hard time accepting the fact that women were allowed to go to college and pursue career paths for themselves. This was hard for me because, ever since I can remember, school has always been important to me and excelling in my classes was continuously top priority. Being a first generation college student, it was quite difficult to convince them to allow my sisters and I to pursue higher education. However, with a push and a nudge (as well as heated debates in between) my family's outlook on the situation changed 180 degrees and we were allowed to enroll in college and university. Ever since, we have been very successful, alhamdulilah. 

Empowering Muslim Women: Changing the Discourse Around Islamic Studies

My passion lies in the field of Islamic history and the Arabic language. I feel confident that this is what I want to devote my career teaching and studying. Alhamdulilah, in May 2013, I graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Studies and a minor in Arabic. Currently, as mentioned above, I am a Masters student studying Near Eastern Languages, as well at Wayne State University. InshaAllah, once I obtain my Masters, I plan to pursue my Ph.D. in Islamic Studies to pursue my career goal of being a college professor/work in academia. 

As a Muslim woman who dresses in full hijab, and interacts with different cultural groups on a daily basis, I have a big responsibility to make sure that Muslim women are properly represented in the public sphere and in public discourse. 

• As Muslims living in a non-Muslim society, it is our duty to make sure we are representing ourselves in the proper light and manner. For non-Muslims who have never interacted with Muslims, all they have to go off of is the negative portrayal they see in media, this is especially the case for Muslim women.
• We need more Muslim women to be the voice for Muslim women; we have enough male figureheads and non-Muslims speaking for us

• Being a Muslim figurehead in a multicultural classroom will give me the opportunity to bridge the gap between "us" and "them" and shed light on who real Muslims are and what Islam is all about

The Dilemma: Why I Have Not Been Able to Complete My Masters Degree 

• The graduate funding I have been offered amounts to interest-accruing loans only; not wanting to deal with the interest involved, I had to decline all the loans
  
• Graduate education is very expensive, and graduate funding is very limited, thus causing much grief for Muslim students who want to stay away from interest loans 
• Both my parents are unemployed, so asking them for help was not an option
• I work full time but most of the money my siblings and I earn from working goes towards household finances, bills, and miscellaneous costs.

In a nutshell, the foremost reason I started this crowdfunding campaign is to raise the remaining funds needed to complete my last year of the masters program. In order to do that, I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Why You Should Support My Cause

In supporting my crowdfunding campaign, you are not only supporting my educational endeavors and goals, but you are also trusting me to take on the responsibility of representing Muslim women in society and in public discourse. As a “behind the scenes” empowerment  source, your support will keep me motivated to reach my goals. Community support is very essential and I believe that with your support and generosity, I will reach my goal, in sha Allah!

If this not enough to motivate you to support me, think of this as sadaqa jariya (a continuous charity) that will generate good deeds for you from Allah (swt) in this world (during your lifetime and after your death), as well as in the akhira (afterlife). With Ramadan just around the corner, why not invest in the manifold reward you can get by supporting this cause?

Please support, share, and spread the word. I greatly appreciate any and all help you can provide (dua included of courseJ)

Thank you and Jazakum Allah Khair.

Your sister in Islam and humanity,

Ganna A. Al-Mansoub