Nada Zohayr
When asked to describe senior Nada Zohayr, her friends immediately think of her strong and warm personality: Inspirational, brave, committed, outgoing and selfless are only a few of the qualities they most value in her. Zohayr certainly lives up to their praise. As a co-head of Middle Eastern and Northern African Society, board member of Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA), co-head of Baraka, a discussion group centered around the Islamic faith, interim co-head of DRAMAT and head of the services committee in Student Council (StuCo), Zohayr has been an involved member of the Exeter community.
Zohayr’s is passionate about social justice. With her Moroccan background and Islamic faith, she brings a unique perspective to Exeter, and wants to let others know about her faith and customs. “MENAS [Middle Eastern and North African Society] is so important to me because I love sharing my culture with my classmates,” said Zohayr.
“Whether she’s giving speeches at Assembly, discussing foreign conflict or helping lead discussions about sexual assault on our campus, she’s helping to educate, listen to and learn from her peers."
Senior Connie Cai, who has been close to Zohayr since the two were preps, commented on Zohayr’s leadership roles within the community. “It’s not easy to be a Muslim and Moroccan and second-gen girl at this school, but Nada does it with incredible grace,” said Cai. “I think a lot of the time girls, especially girls of color, are taught to be quiet and nice and take the backseat, but Nada takes that stereotype and shoves it on its head—she’s a leader in every sense of the word, and inspirational while at it.”
Advocating for students of color on campus is one way that Zohayr said she “tries to make this world a little bit better.” In the past year, Zohayr organized a spoken word event called "Unsilenced", and she helped to select artwork for the student gallery to form an exhibition called Change Agents. The spoken word event allowed students of color to speak freely and share their stories, while the art exhibition focused on social and political issues such as racism and gender discrimination.
Senior Kelvin Green, who has been a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day committee with Zohayr, said that he admires her ability to match her words with actions. “As an ally, she isn't trying to push her own agenda, but rather to support the agenda of her black counterparts,” said Green. “This is very encouraging as a black student, for Nada not only encourages the inclusion of others, but acts on her word.”
Zohayr’s voice really stands out on campus. Senior Emily Robb shared that she is enthusiastic about everything and is more than willing to engage others in discussions or debates about almost anything. Not only is she an active student in and out of classes, but she shows her leadership through extracurricular activities and spontaneous discussions. “Whether she’s giving speeches at Assembly, discussing foreign conflict or helping lead discussions about sexual assault on our campus, she’s helping to educate, listen to and learn from her peers,” Robb said.
In addition to her dedication to social justice, Zohayr is a very active member of DRAMAT. She said that her “love for theater emerged from Exeter.” As the interim co-head, she directs, writes, manages and produces plays for the theater group.
Although she has garnered numerous leadership roles, Zohayr still finds a way to make time for her dormmates. A resident of Hoyt Hall, she is well known in the dorm as a nurturing and encouraging upperclassman. “In the dorm we sometimes joke that Nada is our mom,” said Cai. “I think that really shows how much she cares for us and takes time out of her day to make sure we're ok. She's the one who plans the surprise birthday parties for everyone in the dorm, and she’s always there to cheer me up with a hug or Stillwells.” Zohayr claims that dorm friendships have given her some of the most enduring memories of her Exeter career. “Some of my best memories are the all-nighters I've spent with my friends, midnight screams, eating a lot of Stillwell's ice cream and actually writing my 333,” she said.
Zohayr’s commitment to her friends is another admirable trait. Cai said that in addition to her work with social justice, her relationships with peers exemplify non sibi. Zohayr is known to to be selfless and to spread an infectious cheeriness. Zohayr owns her personality with pride and confidence, positively impacting her own Exeter experience, as well as those of others around her. Robb said, “She’s really giving with her smiles, so she’s always someone I want to keep around.”