Less than a month after she crossed the stage at Commencement, 天天吃瓜 alumna Alaa Basatneh is heading to Washington, D.C., as the to attend President Barack Obama鈥檚 final State of the Union Address on Jan. 12.
鈥淲hen the congressman invited me, I was speechless. I was really excited,鈥 said Basatneh, who first met Quigley in November while visiting D.C. to head a panel about the positive use of social media and youth empowerment in the Middle East. 鈥淭his is an amazing opportunity to speak to media about what鈥檚 happening in Syria and Muslim females in society.鈥
Basatneh, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in , is featured in a documentary, and has earned for her work fighting the Assad regime by organizing protests in Syria, mapping escape routes and sharing videos. She was born in Syria and moved to the United States with her parents when she was 6 months old.
鈥淥ver the past few months, we have seen a shocking and alarming rise in hateful rhetoric against Muslims in our nation,鈥 Quigley said in a statement. 鈥淎laa is an incredible example of how to make an impact in our world and deserves to be celebrated. By attending President Obama鈥檚 State of the Union Address, I hope that Alaa鈥檚 story can help inspire love and compassion over fear and discrimination.鈥
Basatneh, who graduated from and before enrolling at Northeastern in 2014, leaves for Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10. During her stay, Basatneh will meet with news media, government officials, human rights organizations and other State of the Union Address guests. She is particularly eager to meet (D-Minnesota), the first Muslim elected to Congress.
鈥淢y goal is to get students inspired and motivated,鈥 Basatneh said. 鈥淭he education I got from Northeastern really prepped me for everything I鈥檓 doing. Walking down the halls of the Capitol, everyone I鈥檓 meeting and talking to, I had background knowledge, and that鈥檚 because of the professors at Northeastern.鈥
Pictured above (from left): U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, Alaa Basatneh and 鈥#chicagoGirl鈥 director Joe Piscatella
