1 Year with the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace
Wow! It’s been a full year since I started at the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace. When I applied for the position, I knew that I was interested in the Chairs’ mission and research themes and hopeful for the change I could make. However, I wasn’t prepared for the change that working for the Chair would make on me.
This semester was filled with many new challenges in my life outside of work. I was taking my hardest workload and became the VP of Service for my business fraternity. I was delighted to have my office in Chincoteague Hall where I could focus on problems bigger than my own stress, things such as racial prejudice and the severity of climate change. I could put my energy towards making change and spreading information and perhaps my favorite part, listening to the many different speakers. This semester I was able to use the knowledge I was gaining from my current marketing courses to help create content for the Chair and the experience with social media marketing from the Chair in my marketing classes.
Perhaps the most influential part of my semester at the Chair was being surrounded by a team of intelligent and kind women who are all accomplished and amazing role models for me. Stella Hudson, Graduate Assistant for the Bahá'í Chair, is currently working towards a master's at Maryland. Stella is curious and creative and always willing to work hard and learn new things. She’s a great writer and I appreciated her help when I needed to brainstorm for a blog post topic or ask questions about life after college. I really enjoyed working with Stella to prepare for Maryland Day and the hours of crafting we put in to make our table stand out!
Dr. Kate Seaman is someone who has always been patient and kind and encouraged me to think out of the box. Throughout the whole semester, she has supported me and allowed me to have creative freedom with content. She has also helped strengthen my skills as a writer and pushed me to reach out of my comfort zone, I have been fortunate to read some of the things she has written as well as hear her speak at our Book discussion for “Fundamental Challenges to Global Peace and Security”. She is so knowledgeable about the things she is passionate about and I appreciate having an intelligent and well-respected woman to look up to and work with.
Dr. Hoda Mahmoudi is someone I greatly admire and aspire to be like. She is a strong female leader who is so accomplished and also so humble. She has traveled all over the world and is so knowledgeable about other places and cultures. Dr. Mahmoudi is so passionate about the work she does as the Chair and this enthusiasm and motivation to make a difference spreads to everyone around her. She is someone I really respect and am grateful for. Throughout the semester she has encouraged me to bring the core values of the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace into my everyday life. Dr. Mahmoudi pushes me to expand my knowledge, advocate for what I am passionate about, and believe in myself as a smart woman and leader.
I believe passion, drive, and empathy are what make the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace successful. This semester has been full of amazing speakers, informative articles and edited volumes, and a great time at Maryland Day. These things were all possible due to the amazing hard work of a strong group of women! It has been so encouraging and inspiring to get to form relationships with an amazing group of co-workers and work together to create change. Not only has this semester helped to push me as a content creator and a writer but also as a leader in my community. I look forward to what the Fall semester has in store!
About The Author
Meredith is a senior at the University of Maryland majoring in Marketing and Management. After college, she hopes to travel the world and learn more about different countries and cultures. Meredith wants to combine her interest in business with her passion for helping others.