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Salam John,
My name is Ruhan Syed and I was a Congressional Leaders Development Program (CLDP) fellow with Congressman André Carson’s office in Summer 2021. Currently, I have the opportunity to continue in my path of public service as a political appointee in the Executive Office of the President.
CLDP gave me the opportunity to connect with like minded Muslim students and professionals which helped me explore my own passions and identity in political spaces. CLDP also gave me some of my best friends and the confidence to know that I can tackle the toughest challenges that come my way. Most importantly, it reminded me of the importance of my identity as a Muslim and why Muslims need to exist in political spaces across the country.
Without CLDP, and the support of generous donors like you, I would not have been able to return to DC, first at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and now at the White House, without the strong foundation that was set for me as a fellow.
One of the lessons from the Prophet (PBUH) that keeps me going when I feel burnout or fatigue in our current political climate was narrated by Anas ibn Malik. And the Prophet said: “If the Hour is about to commence while in one of your hands is a sapling, and one of you is able to plant it before it commences, then let him plant it.”
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