Mariam Abaza's strong belief in the First Amendment won her a national honor and motivates her education in journalism and public policy.

Mariam Abaza's strong belief in the First Amendment won her a national honor and motivates her education in journalism and public policy.

Mariam Abaza is aware of how laws can change people’s lives. It’s why she uses words to bring awareness to others, especially young adults like herself.

“A common perception by young people is that ‘our voices don’t matter’ or ‘we’ll worry about societal problems when we’re older.’ But laws that negatively affect us today could directly impact us for years or decades,” said Abaza.

The first-year student at Ohio State University recently produced an essay that won a national award.

“I’m passionate about informing the public,” said Abaza. “If people don’t know there’s a problem, they don’t know how to fix it.”

Abaza competed in an essay contest held by the National Center for State Courts. She and other students were asked whether they should be held to the same standard when exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech whether they're on or off school property.

Abaza explained how a student’s right to free speech should be the same at school as a private citizen. Abaza is a young, Muslim woman, like the character she describes in her essay. The fictitious woman – a top scholar in India – becomes subject to a hijab ban. The student must now remove her headscarf if she wants to keep attending school. Forced to decide between her faith and education, she drops out.

“Students should maintain their right to free speech as long as it does not cause harm or incite panic,” Abaza wrote in the essay.

The U.S. Supreme Court agrees. In a case she referenced, a principal threatened to suspend students for a silent protest. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students by saying neither students or teachers should “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

“The U.S. is unique in its expansive freedom of speech and expression,” Abaza added.

Helping people recognize they have a voice is why Abaza writes. Before she arrived at OSU, Abaza interned with regional and national organizations that advocate for youth and Muslim rights. The internships gave her a platform to produce articles and social media posts to explain what can happen when people’s constitutional rights are taken away. Those opportunities also allowed her to share that message through group discussions with state and federal politicians to reduce discrimination and racism.

Abaza’s work of inspiring young minds and enhancing awareness about important topics will continue through a scholarship program at Ohio State. As part of that program, the journalism and public policy double major will take part in service projects and leadership initiatives to engage students and other citizens.

“It’s so important to mobilize to fight for our rights and future. The more we can make impactful issues tangible, especially to young people, the more that leads to actionable change,” said Abaza.