1. What inspired you to pursue your career?

 

For as long as I remember, I've always had a passion for writing and speaking. As a little girl, my family always called me 'the talker of the house'. I gave small speeches in front of family and friends, vlogged my trips to the beach and had exclusive 'film screenings' — all shot by a Nokia phone back in 6th grade. My 12-year-old self begged my family members to sit and watch mini-films I created. You can already tell that they were thrilled. I began to pave a path for myself that led me to permanently do what I love. I grew up watching the news and reading the newspaper/magazine daily and saw how powerful words could be. The more I exposed myself to different perspectives, I realized how impactful these people were to not just a single individual, but the world. From writing to public speaking to exploring the world of media, my 13-year-old self knew what she wanted to become: a journalist. I remember mentioning to my parents that I’m looking towards journalism. Keep in mind I was just 13 so my parents were like "ha okay abhi toh time hai (yeah there's still time), she’ll change her mind". Fast forward 5 years and my dad approaches me and says “Meri beti toh doctor banegi Inshallah (my daughter will become a doctor Inshallah)” and I’m like “haha what...”. I explained to my dad that this is what I love, this is what I’ve been passionate about since a very young age and I believed journalism would help me grow and prosper as an individual. Now as a 20-year-old, fresh graduate, I'm ready to dive into the real world and turn the dreams in little Sukayna’s head into reality – hoping to deliver reality to the world, the truth, uncovered. It is passion that still excites me the same way it excited 12-year-old Sukayna. And it always will.

 

2. What do you most enjoy about your profession?

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Journalism has created the opportunity for me to play a small role in giving back to society and that's what I enjoy the most. It allows me to educate, spread awareness and give a voice to the voiceless; to look beyond borders, barriers, and bias and look at the whole picture. It has given me the platform to use my voice and turn it into power, to grab opportunities and take the leap of faith — even if it’s in the middle of a global pandemic. I use my platform, my words to connect people, to step out of my comfort zone and look beyond our differences and boundaries, and to take my skills and create an impact, from local to global, from big to better. I welcome challenges, I welcome mistakes and I welcome the change. I get to learn, grow and mould myself into a better journalist — unlearn and learn again to truly open my mind to fresh perspectives.

 

 

3. What difficulties have you endured to get to where you are today?

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It's been quite a journey, especially with the pandemic and other things erupting worldwide, we’ve survived a lot — grief, loss, disappointment, a global pandemic — we’ve really come a long way. My mental health declined, sometimes struggling to even get out of bed. I received multiple job rejections, worked in a terrible work environment, was stepped over by people and almost lost my life. When I got my life back, I realized that nothing in the world was more important than my wellbeing. No grade, no individual, no degree, nothing out there determined my value and worth — my value and worth came from within, how I am as a person. It's been a few tough years, but it's definitely made me stronger, increased my self-love, stand up for what is right and allowed me to believe in myself again. Once you realize that your power comes from within you, and no one can take that, you become unstoppable. You fall 7 times; you get up 8. No human is living a second of your life and you should be proud of how far you've come, especially after the pandemic. The bravest thing you can do in this world is be you, and stand up for what you believe in. So don't give up, because your parents didn't raise a quitter, they raised a fighter.

 

4. What are 5 words that describe you best?

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Open-minded

Caring

Amusing

Spiritual

Talkative

 

5. What advice do you have for women who are in pursuit of their dreams?

 

Don't be afraid to be yourself. In the world we live in, it's easy to be someone else, it's easy to follow the crowd to 'fit in' but it's a challenge to maintain your raw authentic self and do what is right, what is best. Of course, don't be afraid to look at new perspectives or learn from others who inspire you; to become a better individual, but don't lose yourself— find yourself, learn, grow, and prosper. There are a lot of people out there, but only one 'you'. Don't forget that.

 

6. What life lessons have you learnt from Covid-19 that you would like to share with other aspiring women?

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COVID-19 truly shook the world. The unexpected happened, we lost people, and at some moments, everything just came to a standstill. We broke, we gathered ourselves and we stood up again. The pandemic made me realize how strong I truly am and how strong those around me are. It made me realize that it's okay if don't I get A+, it's okay to feel what I feel — it's all okay because I'm doing my best in the situation I'm in. It made me more empathetic not only towards other people, but myself too. We are too hard on ourselves, and sometimes we become our own enemy. But that's where we change the narrative. That's when we get up, hold ourselves together with others by our side and be gentler, give ourselves more credit for how far we've come and become our own best friend. Most importantly, it taught me that the more I strengthen my bond with God, the more I feel content within. God is always watching over us!

 

7. What are your goals for the upcoming year?

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I just have one goal for the year and it's one that will stay with me till the end — to evolve as a Muslim, as a journalist and as a human being. 

 

8. If you had a choice to have a superpower, what would it be?

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If I could have one superpower, it would be to fill people's hearts with love and empathy across the world!