On Friday, February 13, Mercersburg Academy hosted Huda Fahmy as the Joseph Beauregard Generosity of Spirit Endowed speaker. A cartoon novelist who explores the complexities of family dynamics and her own Muslim identity, Fahmy was invited by former school minister Reverend Dr. William Whitmore. Burgin Center Director of Operations Jessica Doubell, who now leads the decision process for keynote speakers, said of the choice, “She's a visibly Muslim woman, and we haven't had a speaker like that in our community in the time that I've been here. I don't think it's something that our campus community hears normally, so it was really nice to bring something different.”
Fahmy’s presence on campus impacted students and faculty alike. Doubell explained, “I took away a lot. We all have a lot of the same stories, whether we are the same religion or the same gender. [Everyone is] so much alike, even though we're so completely different. There are so many people on campus who will relate to her story as well."
Many students appreciated the lecture. Huda Mahmoud ’26 said, "I loved how she didn't frame [her experience] as tragic; she kind of presents her story as an owner. I felt connected more personally to her. I think it was really important [to have her on campus], but especially for representation. I think being the only hijabi in the school, it's very difficult, and it felt very intimidating at first." She also said, “It wasn't monotonous; she also framed her story as human and personal. It was powerful. It was really inspiring to see that."
In addition, Maddie Stonebreaker ’27 found the lecture insightful, saying, “We come from a school that has so many people that come from such different cultural backgrounds. It was really cool to see somebody who kind of challenges cultural norms and does her own thing.” She added, “It actually felt like someone who was able to express their creativity.”
Aaron Chuang ’28 also found Fahmy's lecture revealing, stating, “It provided writing from other cultures and presented different cultural characters to include more diversity in literature and comic books. I think she was a good speaker because she had a positive outlook on diversity and inclusion, which is a core value of Mercersburg."
The decision to invite Fahmy to campus allowed academy members to consider their own positionality in comparison to the rest of the world and consider a new perspective. “The Joseph Beauregard Generosity of Spirit Endowment is all about the generosity of spirit, and having met Hoda Fahmy now, she really embodies that,” said Doubell.