In 1948 Mariyah Housari’s grandparents fled from their home in the Levantine city of Jaffa to Ramallah in the West Bank. Twenty years later, Housari’s father left Palestine for a brighter future in the United States. Fast forward to today, where Housari, an MPA student at the BYU Marriott School of Business, comes full circle as she aims to aid modern-day Palestinian refugees.
Housari grew up in Surprise, Arizona, where she heard stories from her father about his life in Palestine. However, it wasn’t until she studied abroad at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies that she personally met relatives on her father’s side. “Aside from my church mission, it was the most lifechanging, impactful experience I’ve ever had because of the relationships I developed and strengthened with extended family,” Housari recalls.
Because of her time at the BYU Jerusalem Center, Housari came to the realization she wanted to focus her career on humanitarian efforts. She took classes on Middle Eastern studies and Arabic, but in looking at future careers, Housari realized she might need to pursue a graduate degree. “All of the jobs I was interested in required an MPA degree, so I decided I needed to pursue one,” Housari explains. “My desire to serve in humanitarian causes in the Middle East and Africa is what led me to where I am now.”
Since starting the MPA program, Housari has learned about being an ethical public servant. “It’s preparing me for my career by teaching me how to determine the impact of my decisions,” she explains. “Preparing to make tough decisions now will help me when I’m faced with challenging decisions in my career.”
Housari is just wrapping up her first year in the program, but she feels strongly about the experiences she’s had so far. “I’ve learned about the wrestle between legal, managerial, and political values and the importance of finding the balance between them in any given situation,” she adds. “We are responsible for bringing the greatest amount of benefit to the communities we serve. We must be responsible decision-makers, because our choices will impact the lives of those we represent.”
Overall, Housari feels connected to the MPA program because its mission aligns with her desire to be more like Christ and serve others, particularly when helping Palestinian refugees. “The MPA program is preparing me to serve the people I feel so connected to and responsible for in the Middle East,” Housari explains. “God has given me this opportunity to receive an education, and I carry the responsibility to serve those who do not have the same freedoms and rights that I do.”
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Written by Maggie Olsen
