For the self-dubbed Alpha girl, it all started at the age of 15 with a decision to volunteer at her local community NGO, the Muslim Women’s Association (MWA). Mentored by community leaders, she undertook leadership training, participated in community development, and worked with other volunteers to found women’s magazine Reflections.
Her hated first job as a telemarketer gave her plenty of scope for using her voice, but the domineering conversationalist knew that advocacy was her field. She became a member of the National Youth Roundtable, joined Bankstown Council’s Youth Advisory Committee, and took on a degree in government and international relations at University of Sydney.
It doesn’t stop there for the walking résumé. Samah was selected to participate at the 2020 Summit and then went on to complete a fellowship at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2009. Currently completing a Masters at the University of New South Wales in Human Rights Law and Policy, whilst also serving as a commissioner with the Community Relations Commission and co-chairing the Multicultural Youth Network, Samah’s list of involvements is exhaustive and she admits, exhausting.
“My goal and causes are not restricted to a career path. It is a way of life for me: activism is a lifestyle,” she declares.