Abdullah Akl“In the peak of COVID-19 I knew I wanted to make sure the voices of the Muslim community made it to the ballot- so I joined as a Changemaker fellow and phonebanked during the historical election of 2020 in my swing-state of North Carolina. The interpersonal skills, advancement in community organizing strategy, and connecting with a team of Muslims in policy and advocacy work equipped me for my ongoing endeavors as a legislative fellow at Poligon Education Fund, working in Congressional advocacy and providing trainings for Muslims across the country, and interning for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in Washington, DC. Now as a field organizer, I have been able to further expand community organizing efforts to build a national base of Muslim leaders passionate about social change, inclusive policy development, and equitable outcomes for the Black and brown community and more. I was given the platform to build up the first-ever MPower Changemaker School for fresh organizers, help an anti-Islamophobic bullying campaign called MyMuslimFutures across NYC, and continue efforts to reach thousands of Muslim voters to be heard at the ballot box. It’s an honor to know that the work I’m able to do benefits others, and builds us to be stronger- it “MPowers” me, everyday. As a young Muslim interested in policy development and aspirations to run for office one day, this has been an invaluable experience to support my community thrive.”