Former CB 11 intern hopes to become a doctor
BY JASON COHEN
For most of her life Salsabeel
Al-Silwi, “Salsa,” has
been focused on family and
her second home at the Bronx
Muslim Center.
Al-Silwi, 18, recently completed
an internship at Community
Board 11 and has her
eyes set on becoming a doctor.
She did not know much
about politics or government
until she met Yahay Obeid,
a member of the center, who
is also the vice chairman of
Community Board 11.
Obeid told her in 2019
about an internship opportunity
with the board and she
applied. Al-Silwi, who had
never heard of the community
board, spoke with District
Manager Jeremy Warneke
and interned there from July
2019 to June 2020.
“Even when I started I was
confused about the purpose of
community board,” she told
the Bronx Times. “Jeremy
made it his mission to teach
me about the community
board.”
Al-Silwi recalled that she
was quite nervous when she
began her role there. Speaking
to strangers was not something
she was adept at, so it
took time to get used to.
As an intern she answered
emails, helped with scheduling,
fi ling and ultimately observed
and was encouraged
to ask questions about everything
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,16 FEBRUARY 12-18, 2021 BTR
that took place.
The teen assumed offi ce
work meant nonstop typing
and phone calls, but quickly
saw it was much more.
“I learned things about
the community I had no idea
about,” she explained. “I loved
my time there.”
Al-Silwi, 18, was born in
Little Yemen, a section of Morris
Park to Hamud Al-Silwi
and Ameta Al-Wadea who immigrated
here 20 years ago.
The community has been
her entire life. She wears a hijab
and feels if raised in other
neighborhood things might
have been different.
She recalled as a child one
kid even pulled it off her head.
Al-Silwi explained that wearing
one is supposed to be liberating,
but many don’t like it.
“I know for sure if we
hadn’t grown up with girls
around me that wear the hijab
it would have been much more
diffi cult,” she explained. “I’ve
always been out casted or
looked at weirdly.”
Al-Silwi, who is a freshman
at Barnard College, credits
her parents for her work
ethic and values.
They arrived in the United
States and had to learn English
and adapt to a new culture.
During that time, her
dad obtained his PhD in education
and administration
and today, is a principal at am
Arabic school.
“My entire life has been
shaped and molded by them,”
she said. “They’re really good
at being role models.”
Her father’s passion for
helping others is instilled in
her.
In high school at the Collegiate
Institute for Math and
Science (CIMS) she started
a mentorship program that
paired freshman with seniors,
launched a teen initiative centered
on leadership and activism
and helped plan a career
day, a racism town hall and a
park cleanup.
Al-Silwi’s career goals
changed her freshman year
when she took a biology class
and suddenly was focused on
the medical fi eld.
With plans to eventually
become a dermatologist, the
once shy girl is grateful for
the opportunity she had as an
intern at CB 11 and stressed it
opened her eyes to how things
work in the world.
“It should be everyone’s
life’s mission to serve their
community board and the one
thing I’ve learned through all
of this is to stay true to oneself,”
she remarked.
Salsabeel Al-Silwi, “Salsa,” a former CB 11 intern hopes to become a doctor.
Courtesy of Salsabeel Al-Silwi, “Salsa,”
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