“Short answer or the long one?” Bachelor of Law graduate Sariyah Mohammed responds to the question of how she balanced a new marriage and baby with completing her degree.
She says, “Honestly, my immediate thought when I’m asked this question is that, without my faith, I wouldn’t have managed.”
However, despite the difficulties, she was more than willing to accept them.
“I don’t agree with the practice of picking one focal point. Marriage, motherhood, and my education are all priorities in my life, and I figured, why must I complete one before I can move on to the next. It was difficult and I struggled, but I loved it.”
Yet, there are struggles you willingly take on and others you are forced to accept. Sariyah’s husband, Jibraeel Hosein, was diagnosed with cancer a few months into her pregnancy.
“My immediate reaction wasn’t anger, sadness or even confusion,” she recalls. “It was acceptance.
“The first words out of my mouth when the doctor shared this news with my husband and I was ‘okay, and what should we do now?’ My husband was in surgery Friday and discharged later that day. I studied over the weekend and wrote my final exam on Monday.”
That’s quite a feat. Still, Sariyah remains humble and focused:
“It might seem like something glorious, and yes, I’m proud of myself, but some days were great and others were rough. Having support from my partner and my family helped in more ways than I can name, and not giving up on myself was critical.”
Her parents and husband were giving full support at the Faculty of Law Graduation ceremony on October 23. Jibraeel was particularly striking, holding their two-month-old baby during the ceremony, and giving a prayer of thanks afterwards on the campus grounds.
“He stood for over two hours holding my newborn so that I could attend graduation when I originally told him I wouldn’t bother to go,” she says.
Now, a very challenging and meaningful phase of Sariyah’s life is over. She is grateful for the experience.
“In the Quran, there is a line that states ‘with hardship comes ease’. I think I got a first-hand display of that within this year, and I’m thankful for every second of it.”
