In just a few weeks, I will no longer have the pleasure of calling DePaul University my place of residence. In just a few weeks, I will be a college graduate who can say that I am living in the “real world”. In just a few weeks, I will have more questions to answer, questions that I have constructed in the place that has been more than my residence but has truly been my home.
In the last 4 years of my life, DePaul has been a harbor of self exploration. I have struggled with a slew of life questions that an 18-22 year old struggles with: from relationships, to career choices, to spirituality, and yes, even picking the right TV show to obsess over (Always Sunny in Philadelphia). All of which are pertinent to one’s growth, however, the most daunting of all those questions is a question that may have no tangible answer. The question of who am I, and what am I meant to do? I remember taking a Business Ethics course my freshman year; we were required to do community service for our final and write about our experiences. I cannot even begin to describe how annoyed I was to wake up at 4:00 am on a Saturday morning and drive to Chicago in the middle of a frigid winter to meet with the volunteers. I was working with the Tax Assistance Program going to inner city schools and community centers to help the marginalized and underprivileged fill out their tax forms free of cost. This was my first experience doing consistent community service work, and it was the beginning of my personal renaissance as a student and as a member of my community. The amount of gratitude that I saw in people, for simply offering a few hours of my time, was the most humbling experience of my life. In that time, I learned that it was not my service that mattered most. Rather, it was the opportunity to engage and interact with these communities that was so impactful; to be with people that had such wonderful stories to tell and had so much to offer. The beauty was in our coming together, in our interaction and in our dialogue.
That service experience my freshman year, opened my eyes to the value of socially responsible leadership that I learned at DePaul and the focus on being intentional citizens within our community. I had the privilege of getting involved on campus, taking part in more service learning and engaging with my fellow students and community members in a different light. Through those moments in the remainder of my time at DePaul, I was challenged and rewarded in ways that I had never experienced before. It was in those moments that I struggled with the questions of who I am, and finding my purpose in life; and it was through those struggles that I decided my life would be unfulfilled unless I dedicated it to public service and the greater good.
I tell many of my friends that our experiences in our respected Universities are what we make of them. Our attitude towards our education reflects, not only on our experiences in life, but reflects on the people we become, as students, and members of society. It is my humble opinion that whether we are in school or out, we are always students of life. In these four years I have been able to question my faith and seek answers, challenge myself and the people around me and learn through dialogue and shared experience. I hope that when I leave DePaul University, I can leave remembering that I have much more to learn and that I must learn with those around me. In just a few weeks the next chapter of my life begins. In just a few weeks I leave, and I bring DePaul, my experiences, and you with me. For that, I can only say, Thank you.
– Adlil Issakoo
Interfaith Scholar 2009-2010
Published in the May 2010 Issue of the Interfaith Review