My parents were always judged by our relatives and other practicing Muslim in our community. For them, having a college degree should not be a priority when you are a Muslim especially when you are woman. It didn’t stop there. My brother decided to enroll in a university for a degree after graduating as a Hafiz (the one who memorized the Qur-an) and again, our whole family was criticized for pursuing education other than Islamic education. Despite the criticism thrown upon us, I am so proud that my parents want us to be a good Muslim while giving us a chance to choose what kind of career we want. Islamic knowledge is important for us Muslims but to be able to blend in a non-Islamic country, a degree is mandatory.

Aside from the fact that religion is barrier to education, it is also believed that women are not fit to lead in a society. Things have changed in the present but in my community, it is still there. I would like to stop these beliefs. Education has no religion and leadership has no gender. In my opinion, religion without education can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and misunderstanding always leads to larger issues. Future leaders need education and Muslims should be educated also. As a young leader, I will be a better Muslim and at the same time a good citizen of the Philippines with the knowledge that I have.

Leadership requires a lot of knowledge since a leader should be knowledgeable. Knowledge is vital in decision-making and that’s one of the qualities of a good leader, a good decision maker. Knowledge should not only be in a specific field in order to practice fair decision making. The knowledge that I acquired through the years developed my skills in communication, understanding, speaking and writing, which are important in my personal growth. I know I still have a lot to learn, and I promise to continue to learn. I will use this knowledge to lead and be an example in my own way because leadership starts through taking small steps in the beginning.

I already broke the barrier of women and religious discrimination around me. They didn’t see me as a poor innocent Muslim woman but rather empowered and invincible. That’s because of the knowledge that I gained. I always speak up when I need to.  I never failed to share this knowledge to others through participating in trainings where I can be the resource speaker. In my everyday life, I always establish a connection when I entertain my client and make sure to be sensitive to the needs of others. I accept their feedback generously. I always lead by example. Every client has his/her own story and every story gives an opportunity to a new learning and I always look forward to that. A good listener is a good speaker and a good speaker is a good leader.

As I young leader, I never stop to learn. Education is always my passion. As an educated individual, one of my responsibilities is to create harmony within my surroundings, that include my family and workplace. I believe that only well-educated people can build good character in the young ones. It could be my own children and the younger people around me. As a learner, I am now trying to understand more about politics, business management and other globally significant issues. Great leaders I know are learners. Lastly, I always remind myself to not live up to everyone’s expectation because there is no deadline in success. I make sure I always have time for myself since I know that there is a wonderful career in front of me. Leadership starts within us so I learned to love myself more and people loving me will follow.