Meet Your Neighbor: Salma Muhammad-Jover

"I have been a member of QCH's Access for Young Women (AFYW) program for some years now. At AFYW, our goals, dreams, our fears, and even our daily dose of complaining are put in conversation. The program allowed for my peers and myself to have a comfortable place to talk about things we are passionate about while also bringing light to things that we're not necessarily comfortable discussing. Once a week, heavy topics that are avoided generally are given a safe place to be explored. AFYW has not helped me become aware of social justice issues around the world, but it has also taught me to have pride in being a young woman and leader. My pride doesn’t only root from growing my self-worth, but also from recognizing the many powerful women around me. Some fantastic examples are AFYW Director Gaby Vera, for whom I have endless words of compliments, and my mom, Teresa Jover-Mengual (pictured next to me), for whom I have endless admiration. My mother taught me how to be strong, ambitious, and always kind. Those are qualities she shares constantly with the world, and now I can too, with the help of this program. When I first joined AFYW in 8th grade, I was amazed at how welcoming the environment was from the first moment, but that was the only the start. This program has been more than that; it has become a home for me, and I’m certain it will continue to be a home for the many generations of leaders to come."

- Salma Muhammad-Jover, QCH AFYW participant