Senior does not let success go to head

April 18, 2007

By SAPNA PRASAD
Reporter

Courtesy photo Fort Worth senior Samreen Hooda (right) was chosen for the International Waezeen Training Program in London. The program's goal is to create a global perspective on Islam by inviting people from all over the world to participate.

A preacher who doesn't preach. A believer in confident humility.

Samreen Hooda's life is full of paradoxes, but she has never felt so complete.

At 22, the Fort Worth senior was chosen for the International Waezeen
Training Program in London. Hooda is only the second person to enter
the program, akin to a graduate program, before completing an
undergraduate degree.

The average age of a Waezeen trainee is between 35 and 40.

Hooda spent three and a half weeks at the Institute of Ismaili Studies
in London last summer. She said she learned about the role of the imam
and closely examined the teachings of the Quran. She also was trained
to give speeches and presentations on the history of Islam.

"It's a passion for me," Hooda said. "It's teaching me to
become a good articulator because the Ismaili denomination of Islam has
been misarticulated in the past."

Hooda said Ismaili-ism is a liberal, Shia denomination of
Islam. She said there are no strict guidelines for when or how to pray,
and the focus is on spiritual living.

Hooda said Ismaili-ism is "taking what we believe and living it spiritually."

The Waezeen program selects 10 to 15 people from hundreds of countries,
creating a unique global perspective on Islam. Hooda said the
international interaction allows the trainees to connect with diverse
audiences.

She said the program is also beginning to see the importance of
accepting younger trainees because religion can be a huge struggle for
undergraduate and graduate students.

Hooda said her Muslim friends were defensive at first and many of them felt they had to act differently around her.

Friends characterize Hooda as a lifelong learner and coffee connoisseur.

Rozmin Ladha, a Euless senior, has known Hooda since elementary school.
Ladha said she goes straight to Hooda when she has questions about
Ismaili-ism.

Ladha said she loves talking to Hooda even though she is at such a high
spiritual level, because Hooda doesn't lose the human element that
makes her approachable.

"She has blind faith, but it's not blind because she knows it's the truth," Ladha said.

Hooda can often be found immersed in a Harry Potter book while sipping a drink from Starbucks.

As a middle child, Hooda said, she often felt misunderstood, so she turned to writing as her cure-all.

"I get enlightened through writing," Hooda said.

"I have to see it to believe it."

Hooda is a member of Baylor Women's League, the Waco chapter of Amnesty International and is a BIC student.

Dr. Andrew Christian Van Gorder, professor of world religions, described his interactions with Hooda as delightful.

"She was an energetic and engaged student who contributed so
much to the class with her thoughtful comments and questions," he said.

Van Gorder said Hooda often stopped by after class to continue discussions that had begun in class.

"She validated the opinions of others, but was not afraid to
confidently state her own views about issues, even when they were
controversial," Van Gorder said.

Hooda will go back to London this summer, after which she will apply to
be a mentor for the next year's participants. She said the program has
given her perspective on being Muslim at Baylor, and said she welcomes
the conservative balance because it keeps her questioning her faith.

"I've never felt that I've had so much purpose in life," Hooda said.

Baylor University