Connecting Communities

Honors student Savannah Leavitt is a major in Middle Eastern studies in Arabic (MESA) and a minor in political research and data analysis. “MESA itself is actually an interdisciplinary area of study,” Savannah said; “it brings in political science, language and arts and history, and social science.” While MESA is more qualitative, Savannah’s political research minor is very quantitative. “I really think that they supplement each other,” Savannah said. There are many complex issues in the world of Middle Eastern relations. A blend of qualitative knowledge from MESA and quantitative research from political science are both helpful.

For example, Savannah is thinking of doing her Honors thesis on the relationship between societal political stability and humanitarian aid distributed through sectarian groups in the Middle East. “You can do that qualitatively, but it's a lot easier to do it through numbers and through data,” Savannah said. Still, “[data] can solve problems, but not if they’re applied in the incorrect way. That's where MESA comes in, which takes into account history and culture. You can apply hard, fast answers in the correct way where they'll actually have an effect…. This is something that I don't think you can have if you don't take an interdisciplinary approach.”

When Savannah completed her Honors leadership experience (LDE), she used the same approach: a logical, quantitative approach within a qualitative context. She founded a club—the School of Communications Outreach and Inclusion Association (SCOIA). “We started off a mentoring program for Afghan refugees who are living in Salt Lake City right now. They're members of what's called the Hazara community…. Their minority religion paired with the fact that they look different from other Afghanis has drawn a lot of discrimination. In the 19th century, 60% of their population was wiped out.”

The Hazara in Salt Lake City are refugees from the Taliban, who are actively hunting their people. Aside from their religion, one reason they’re at odds with the Taliban is because they pride themselves on education—including for women. Savannah said, “We had a huge event with them last November at the Hinkley center—the Hazara educational day…. [The presenter] asked for questions at the end, and this one lady raised her hand and asked, ‘Can women study at this institution as well?’”

Because of their love for education, many of the Hazara have already received high school diplomas and college degrees. “Some of them are even doctors and lawyers,” said Savannah, “but the qualifications don't necessarily transfer to the United States.” Part of SCOIA’s mentoring program is to help the Hazara become qualified in the US. Any interested Hazara could sign up to receive a BYU student mentor who would walk them through the process. “That's the reason we set it up in the first place, but I think there's a more potent motive behind it, which is just to give them a connection and a friend who's native to this new place that they're living in.”

Interdisciplinary thinking helped Savannah create a meaningful plan to help the Hazara community. She made a logical, quantitative framework with the mentor program. Then, “in the same way that you put quantitative analysis into context using your historical, cultural, and language knowledge, you also have to put the mentor program into context…our core goal, the context, is cultural assimilation and helping [the Hazara people] feel comfortable in a new place after really traumatic experiences.”

Another unexpected connection in SCOIA is the genuine connections that people are making despite their very different backgrounds. “The Hazara like these are people who come from a war-torn country. They have seen people die, they've seen bombs go off, they’ve run for their lives from the Taliban—which sounds dramatic, but it's a real thing that's happening now. And for them to come from that to a room in the Wilk on BYU campus, with all these white Utah kids, and for them to find common ground… those are the most unexpected connections that you could have—and some of the best connections, honestly.”

The connections aren’t one-way transactions. The Hazara have shown their love, a tradition of hospitality, and a “a deep, different kind of kindness,” Savannah said. “There’s this one BYU student who hit it off really well with this Hazara named Shir,” Savannah said. “He was like, ‘You guys should come over to my house for dinner,” and our BYU student was like, ‘Oh, like me’ and he was like, ‘No everyone,’ like to the whole BYU student body that had gathered!”

Savannah hopes that the Hazara and BYU students will form lasting relationships “that surpass those language and cultural barriers.” SCOIA started small but has already grown to over 60 committed members. "It's been unexpected to see people coming on to the projects…and getting out of their comfort zone on their own volition,” said Savannah. “That's been a really unexpected and really heartening experience.” While SCOIA’s first project has been to interact with the Hazara, they hope to provide support to other underserved populations in Utah Valley as opportunities arise.

In the meantime, Savannah is preparing to work on her Honors thesis by presenting research and participating in research projects with professors. She is leaning toward academia in foreign policy as a future career. Savannah said, “My interests relate to the way that I grew up and what my parents do for work. My mom is an editor. My dad is a diplomat.” Savannah has moved all over the world, but Washington DC is her family’s home base. “So, I am interested in kind of everything—government, national security, and non-government organizations.” From her club to her future career, Savannah is focused on making connections between communities across the world.