Loyola student receives William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship to study in Dubai
Hajrah Jalil, ’23, has been awarded the William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship at the American University in Dubai to study abroad during the Spring 2022 semester.
Jalil, who is originally from Pakistan and a resident of Baltimore, is a political science major with a minor in environmental and sustainability studies. At Loyola, she is vice president of the Middle Eastern South Asian Student Alliance (MESA) and the co-president of the Environmental Action Club (EAC).
“This scholarship will give me the opportunity to learn about international relations and foreign policies from a non-western perspective,” said Jalil. “Traveling is one of my passions, and I want to take every opportunity to explore our world.”
Jalil, who has ambitions of working at the United Nations where she would like to focus on implementing climate mitigation initiatives in the Middle East and South Asia, says her experience studying in Dubai will help prepare her for her career.
“My goal is to ensure that the biggest polluting countries take drastic measures to cut their emissions as soon as possible to have a habitable future. I will take this opportunity to learn about how countries are responding to global warming, racial justice issues, and the coronavirus pandemic. I can apply what I learn from my study-abroad program to a position within the United Nations Environment Program where I can incorporate what I have learned through college to make a change in our world.”
Terre Ryan, Ph.D., associate professor of writing and director of National Fellowships, says Jalil is a credit to Loyola and looks forward to the impact she will have on the world.
“The Clinton Fellowship is very prestigious, and it will provide marvelous learning opportunities for Hajrah, who is an extraordinary person,” said Ryan. “I’ve known Hajrah since her first year at Loyola. Dr. Bernadette Roche, Hajrah’s advisor at the time, told me, ‘Hajrah will save the world someday.’ Hajrah has been working toward saving the world since her teens, when she learned that the Baltimore County creek where she and her friends played as kids was contaminated with industrial waste. She is an asset to Loyola, and I feel lucky to know her.”
The first Loyola students studied abroad in Dubai in 2017.
About the William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship:
The William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship at the American University in Dubai seeks to further the goals of the Clinton Presidential Foundation to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. In partnership with the American University in Dubai, the program will provide American students based in the United States the opportunity to expand their educational and cultural horizons by studying in the Arab world. This prestigious award only grants scholarships to 10 students from the United States per semester.