Sumaya Siddiqui

Attending the University of Houston

My name is Sumaya Siddiqui, and I was born and raised in Houston. I currently live in Katy with my husband. I am a proud Muslim American and am grateful to my grandfather, who immigrated from India to America and eventually settled in Houston because of its large and diverse Muslim community.

The University of Houston was a clear choice for me due to its central location in Houston, my hometown, and its affordability. I also preferred the University of Houston's diverse student population and large Muslim community. I knew I would feel a greater sense of belonging and inclusion at a university that has other students I could relate to. I also valued the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds to get to know one another.

As an entrepreneur at heart, I had started a small business during high school selling art products online. After this experience, I formed a strong passion for business and, after learning about the highly esteemed C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, I decided to attend UH and major in marketing. During college, my passion for minority empowerment and civic engagement allowed me to discover and explore the intersect between marketing and government communications.

The Benefits of Receiving a Scholarship

I was awarded the Harris Fellow Scholarship by the Hobby School of Public Affairs during the summer of 2021 which allowed me to work for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office over the summer. I was able to apply my degree in marketing in a real-world environment as part of a county-level government office.

As a Harris Fellow, I worked on communications tasks that included drafting a resolution to honor the Muslim Community that was approved by Judge Hidalgo herself and presented at Harris County Commissioners Court on the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

After having previously worked as an intern for the League of Women Voters of Houston through the Hobby School’s Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP) in the fall of 2020, and at the Texas Capitol during the 87th Legislative Session in spring 2021, my experience as a Harris Fellow was a critical next step in my career progression.

Campus Life

During my time in college, I participated in a number of extracurricular activities, such as serving as a philanthropy intern for the American Marketing Association and working as a brand ambassador for Kellogg’s on campus. But the most impactful aspect of my experience at UH by far was my involvement with UH’s Muslim Student Association. As the largest faith-based organization on campus, the association allowed me to find a deep sense of belonging and make close friendships with others who share my values and faith practices.

I served as the interfaith coordinator with UH MSA during my junior year which allowed me to learn so much about various religions and the importance of healthy interfaith dialogue. The ability to perform Friday congregational prayer on campus in the A.D. Bruce Religion Center and pray my five daily prayers in the library basement, which is a space designated for Muslim students to pray and gather (now coined by students in the MSA as “Masjid Al-Basement”), were key to my ability to be my whole self on campus.

Thanks to UH MSA, during my time at UH, I was able to grow not only academically but spiritually as well.