Yale University’s student body has elected its first-ever Muslim president. It is one of the oldest Ivy League institution in New Haven, a city in the south of Connecticut on the shore of the Long Island Sound.
According to Connecticut-based news station WFSB, Bayan Galal secured 56 per cent of the student body vote for Yale College Council President. This made her the first Muslim in the university’s 320-year history to assume the student government presidency.
*GLASS CEILING SHATTERED*
Incredibly proud of my little sister, Bayan Galal, who has been elected @Yale Student Body President!!! Bayan has made history as Yale’s first Muslim student body president. I can’t wait to see the incredible things she accomplishes. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/si1vlSxy69— Ayah Galal (@ayahgalal) May 2, 2021
Bayan Galal explained: “I think the role of student body president is one where you’re uniquely situated to advocate for the student body and especially advocate for marginalized communities on campus.”
She added, “So, I felt that especially in the wake of the pandemic, this was an incredibly important time to step up, to run for this role and see what I can do for the Yale student body. What results I could deliver and how I could better the school in my time here.”
“I think it’s a really exciting and pivotal moment for Muslims right now,” Bayan Galal said. “Especially on Yale’s campus. Without a doubt, Yale is a place that wasn’t originally made for Muslims and other underrepresented and marginalized communities. I think having a student body president that comes from one of those backgrounds is incredibly important because it means that we’re moving in the right direction, we’re moving in a direction where not only do we have Muslim students and other underrepresented minorities on campus, but they’re in positions and roles where they can advocate for others and thrive in a really exciting way.”
She explained her vision of the institute, and based on that, she has put a lot of thought into her newly formed policies. She said, “I think ultimately, the vision is to have individual and collective well-being at Yale,” she said. “I think while Yale is an incredible place, there is a lot of difficulties that students still face here, and my vision for Yale is that we address all of the different needs of students at once.”
Galal comes from a family of trailblazers. She is not alone in terms of breaking barriers. Her sister, Ayah Galal, became the first reporter in Connecticut to wear a hijab on TV in the state of Connecticut.
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