Her Story
About Esraa
I'm a multidisciplinary creative who has been working in my field for about 3 years. My journey began with following the traditional path through college and into a career, but I always felt something was missing. As a Muslim hijabi woman, I was constantly told to play it safe by both Eastern and Western societies, but I've always been passionate about fashion, art, storytelling, and directing. Post-grad, I started experimenting and owning my identity as a stylist, model, and creative director, and once I did, the universe responded and opportunities started flowing abundantly. In my 9 to 5, I work as an interventionist running intervention programs in different school sites through organizations like Catapult Learning, focusing on youth empowerment, academic confidence, self-confidence, and social-emotional learning. I also work with the YMCA doing youth development. Beyond my day job, I pursue my creative passions and mentor young women, especially Muslim and hijabi women, encouraging them to be bold, break barriers, and pursue what brings them joy. I believe that sometimes our becoming is actually our returning to the things we loved before we were told what to be. I'm passionate about creating visibility and representation for Muslim women in non-traditional roles, and I work to inspire others to remove their creative blocks and constantly create. I lead youth programs at my local mosque on Thursdays and Saturdays, and I've done extensive work with refugee resettlement and community empowerment through organizations like the New American Association and AmeriCorps.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Esraa
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say it's important to never dilute what makes you different to fit into a specific industry. Trust your individuality. The things that make you stand out are often the very things that create your lane, the very things that people are attracted to. So yeah, don't dilute yourself. Be bold, be audacious, and no longer be in survival mode. Our ancestors were once in survival mode, but they survived so we can live. We're not the generation that is playing it safe anymore. We're the generation that is experimenting, breaking barriers, and trying things out. Even with failure, we're still learning and pursuing things that are typically considered dangerous or risky. Don't be afraid to be too much because being bold is a statement, it's never too much. We're always told don't be too much, but you should be just enough as you are.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My top three values are community, creativity, and culture. I think you go such a long way with having community and sticking to your values, sticking to your culture, and just constantly creating, constantly releasing our ideas, whatever it may be. It could be something as simple as a poem, or a sketch, or just something that is an outlet for us. I would also say representation is a big one for me, actually. Just creating visibility and space for Muslim women specifically is something that is the most valuable to me. What I do fulfills my soul, it's very personal to me. It's important to know that you are adding value to other people's lives, adding value to other women's lives.
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