Arab and North African Society: Vice President

Hey everyone, I’m Jana, a 2nd year Engineering and Architectural Design student.

Over the past year, I’ve taken on leadership roles across our community as Academic Rep and Transition Mentor, while also helping organise and support ArabSoc events, including the Reformation charity iftar and grocery drive.

These roles have involved coordinating with teams, making sure events run smoothly, advocating for students, and ensuring people are kept informed and included. I step in where things need organising and follow through to make sure they actually happen.

As Vice President, I’d bring that same reliability and hands-on leadership to supporting the team and helping ArabSoc continue delivering meaningful events for our community.

Having lived in Egypt my entire life, English was an afterthought and Thursdays meant 3ezooma. My culture was secure. It always surrounded me.

Living away from home made me realise that identity and language can slowly thin out when not reinforced daily. I learned that preserving culture is an active process of resisting the dilution of your language in spaces where it is not spoken. This process cannot be sustained alone.

For me, finding a shilla in London created a space where Arabic wasn’t secondary and my culture could be expressed in its fullest form. Through my friends, I was able to stay connected to and appreciate my history, culture and religion when they did not physically surround me. They taught me to carry my culture proudly in a foreign country, something I hope changes how Arabs are perceived.

I’m standing for Vice President because I know what it means to feel your identity thin, and I want Arab Soc to be the community where it grows stronger