91Ö±²„
Jude Husein, ā21, M.A. ā25, has used the foundations from her 91Ö±²„ educationĢżto give back to Philadelphia and the state through her roles in government and nonprofits.ĢżĢżĢż
In 2024, Husein decided to come back to 20th and Olney and complete the next step in her educational journey, enrolling in the Strategic Communication Master’s Program.
Although, Jude Husein, ā21, M.A. ā25,Ģżwent on to spend her days at the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA, as the Chief of StaffĢżatĢżthe Pennsylvania State Senate, herĢżpolitical roots go back to her time in 91Ö±²„ās Political Science Program.ĢżĢż
Husein, a first-generation student, started her higher education journey at community college, but transferred to La 91Ö±²„ because of the tight-knit campus and an Explorer aunt.
Living off campus made the early days at 20th and Olney slightly challenging for Husein, but that didnāt last for long.
āMy time on campus was a bit tough at first commuting,ā she said. āBut once I found my footing, I found professors in the Political Science Department, like Professor Thomas and Professor Glatzer, that truly believed in me. It gave me great confidence to keep going.ā
Husein is still in contact with Mark Thomas, Ph.D., an assistant professor of political science and international relations, and Miguel Glatzer, Ph.D., a professor of political science and international relations, and welcomes the space they provide for her to brainstorm and workshop her thoughts.
While her path to La 91Ö±²„ was not completely straight, her major choice was.
āI always knew I would land in policy, advocacy, organizing, and disrupting. And political science seemed the way to go,ā she said. āI come from a family of small business owners with politics always in the background the moment I walked into the room. I felt at home studying and becoming a political scientist.ā
Soon after graduating with her bachelorās degree, Husein was listening to the radio and heard a story about a senator that was staging a sit-in that caught her attention.
āWhen I hear something that Iām really interested in, I just track down the person or I find out how things work,ā she said. āSo, I tracked down the person, and I applied for every single position in the office. And then when I finally got the interview, I actually said “I don’t want this role I applied for, I want this other role instead.ā
Before she knew it, she was interviewing with the senator that she eventually worked for as the Director
of Community Mobilization.
Husein completed nearly four years working in government culminating as the Chief of Staff at
the State Senate.
āIt was a variety of things that led me into government, into the State Senate,ā Husein said. āOne, Iāve always been a community organizer, and so Iāve always been a solution driven disruptor. Two, Iāve always been passionate about people. And then three, I really wanted to cultivate greater systems change, Iād done everything I could in my community advocacy at that point in my life, even though that wonāt ever stop, it was time to knock down a door in an institution to support greater change.ā
And the advocacy work hasnāt stopped. Husein also serves as Deputy Executive Director at Build Our Lives Together (BOLT), a nonprofit that works to empower and cultivate grassroots leaders across Philadelphia.
Throughout her life, sheās worked with nonprofits, an experience that she describes as very meaningful.
āI think about it as a sense of obligation,ā Husein said. āI donāt think of it as anything other than obligation to one another, because weāre obligated to support each other.ā
In 2024, Husein decided to come back to 20th and Olney and complete the next step in her educational journey: a masterās degree.
āI have always loved to love people and communities and always want to find a way to genuinely and authentically be able to be a great communicator,ā she said. āI found myself interested in strengthening those skills, so the masterās in strategic communication seemed just the right fit for me.ā
Husein met some of her greatest friends in her graduate program, adding to the Explorer family she built as an undergraduate.
Her time in the Strategic Communication Masterās Program also inspired her latest project. Husein is currently writing a memoir-style book, split into four sections: short stories, poems, doodles, and images from throughout her life. She started working on the book as an independent study and has since decided to self-publish it.
Husein has achieved a lot in her short time in government. A Philadelphian American, sheās the only
Arab in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, in 2021 she started Philadelphia Palestine Day, sheās led
efforts to reduce gun violence in Northwest Philadelphia by 37%, built a pipeline to place young leaders in places of leadership, led a pilot to place Philadelphians in higher paying jobs, conducted a Commonwealth listening tour and released a report to support students on all state university campus’ and sheās been able to support grassroots leaders across the city.
āThose are a few things Iām most proud of, but I canāt really give one thing because I hope I show up and
do the best that I can every day,ā she said. āI deliver for Philadelphia every single day and the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania every single day. And every day, I wake up thinking about what am
I going to contribute to this world and how am I going to support my neighbor first.ā
That’s how to make change, Husein believes, first by helping yourself and your community.
āWe take care of ourselves first, and we take care of our community first, and thatās how you build a
better world for Philadelphia every day,ā she said. āThatās why I do what I do, and Iām really proud of
³Ł³ó²¹³Ł.ā
Throughout it all, though, there are two things that stand out, not that sheās achieved, but that she is.
āIām really proud of being a Philadelphian American,ā Husein said. āIām really proud of being an
·”³ę±č±ō“Ē°ł±š°ł.ā
-Naomi Thomas