Ezzaty Hasbullah: Rhodes Scholar

“Hot and humid all year round, Malaysia was home. When I think of my childhood, images of games and laughter comes to mind. I picture the make-shift badminton court my dad spray-painted on the street in front of the house. He would tie one end of the net to our front gate and the other to a lush tree opposite our house. The tree provided much needed shade as me, my brothers and the neighborhood kids rally together for a game of badminton every evening till the golden hues of dusk called us home.”

“‘One day you’re going to study in England,’ a mantra that my mum often repeated to me. As most kids do, I internalized it without question.”

“In an effort to achieve that dream, my middle school years were defined by countless hours of studying and participating in extracurriculars. I am brought back to the time when I was on a bus travelling for a national debate competition. It was dark, raining, and most of my peers were already fast asleep. Not wanting to turn on the seat light, I sat at the front of the vehicle with my biology book in hand, trying to make out the respiratory system with the slivers of light from the street laps as the bus drove past.”

“My parents obtained scholarships that allowed them to go to college in the United Kingdom. That was what was expected of me too, their first-born. I managed to meet their expectations of getting a scholarship, but what they didn’t expect was my decision to come to the U.S. instead.”

“When people back home hear about my story, they often ask why? Why did I decide to go to a country I’ve never been to, that's twice as far, and has little to no Malaysian community? Not to mention a reputation of gun violence and Islamophobia.”

“My answer is, teenage rebellion,” Ezzaty said with a chuckle.

“But really, I wanted to experience something that not many people have the privilege to, I wanted to be thoroughly outside of my comfort zone, to put myself in a situation where I would be pushed to grow. And I knew, coming to Penn would be just that.”

“So with that in mind, I packed my bags and got on a plane to Philly.”

“Nothing could have prepared me for what was to come.”


As an international student, Ezzaty initially found Penn to be isolating.

“It was a hot August day when I arrived. Having lived in a tropical country and not quite understanding how seasons work, I was severely overdressed. In fact, this sums up my early Penn experience.”

“Alienation and discomfort brought on by a lack of understanding of American norms and expectations.”

Calling her best friend in Malaysia, Ezzaty would cry herself to sleep. Classes felt foreign and socializing was an anxiety-inducing activity that she simply could not bring herself to partake.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that the Muslim Life Program (MLP) saved me.”

“It was the first Jummah prayer I attended at Penn. As the familiar sound of the adhan was called, for the first time at Penn, I felt at peace.”

“MLP gave me a space and community of people where I felt like a belonged. Our shared Islam allowed me to have a connection with others that transcended cultural divides. Through these interactions and relationships, I was able to build my confidence to then truly thrive at Penn.”

MLP enabled Ezzaty the opportunity to be re-acquainted with Islam.

“Coming from a Muslim majority country, Islam was often conflated with culture. Growing up, I never questioned where one ended and the other began. It wasn’t until I came to the United States that I was forced to come face to face with this realization.”

“Through MLP, Chaplain Patty became my guide as I went through this journey of re-establishing my relationship with Islam and exploring the question of what being Muslim really meant to me.”

“College is tough. Combining that with the culture shock of being in America for the first time and having to negotiate between American sociocultural norms and ideologies, and my identity and beliefs as a Muslim, it can be disorienting.

But whenever I felt like I’ve lost my way, I know that I can always turn to Chaplain Patty to help me see what really matters.”

“Some of my greatest memories at Penn is of me rushing to SPARC (Spiritual and Religious Life Center), and now the CA (the building home to Muslim Life), after a long day of classes. Entering a room full of kind familiar faces, and in the circle, Chaplain Patty greeting me with Salam. I sit down cross-legged on the floor, eager to learn about my faith as Chaplain Patty opens up the gathering with a dua’a.”


“MLP gave me the foundation I needed to grow and develop at Penn. From giving me a space to call home, to expanding my knowledge on Islam, to gifting me relationships I intend to hold dear for the rest of my life.”

“Only Allah knows how grateful I am.”