By: Erik Pedersen, Content Strategy Director
BALTIMORE – Taif Ibrahim joined Notre Dame of Maryland University as a transfer student in spring 2022, midway through her first year of college, and the current president of NDMU’s Student Government Association quickly established herself as a leader on campus.
Ibrahim was elected president of SGA this academic year after previously serving as the association’s vice president in 2023-24. An art therapy major and psychology minor, she has also held executive positions for the Campus Activities Board, Student Alumni Leadership Council, Muslim Student Association and International Student Organization.
Notre Dame’s Student Government Association was created to identify, represent, and advocate for the welfare of the student body. Learn more about Ibrahim’s plans for the association this year, her other leadership positions on campus, and her academic experiences at Notre Dame:
What inspired you to run for SGA president?
I served as vice president last year. My friend, Aniyah Plumer, was the president and she said she needed someone that she trusted to assist her. I wanted to run for president because last year I noticed some things that I was passionate about wanting to change. Aniyah was graduating, and I wanted to be able to continue the initiatives that she had started. I want to continue that work and create a solid foundation for the next president.
What are some of the top things you hope to accomplish as SGA president this year?
A big goal that I have this year is to amplify why people join SGA. I want to figure out what inspired people to join, and then use that knowledge to build a stronger mission and foundation for the association as a whole. Advocating for students is obviously a common reason, but I think there’s more to that as well that we are still trying to pinpoint. I also want to continue working with SAGE to address issues that came up last year. Through that work, I hope to build a stronger overall relationship between SAGE and the student body.
We want to support students during the election season as well, either by organizing transportation to voting locations or finding a way to bring the voting to campus. A lot of the agenda, though, is carrying over from last year. We have less things on our overall agenda so that we can focus on quality over quantity - quality results over a quantity of issues.
Outside of SGA, what are some other leadership positions that you’ve held at Notre Dame, and what made you want to join each organization?
I was vice president of CAB. I joined that originally because I was really interested in hosting events on campus. It was a bit of a chaotic time for the club when I was there, but we did manage to host some pretty good events. I also served as program coordinator for the Student Alumni Leadership Council. I joined because I wanted to network more, and SALC gave me a great opportunity to do that.
I am the current vice president of the Muslim Student Association. I wanted to foster an environment where Muslim students can feel supported, and I definitely think we’ve been able to create a community for us here where we don’t feel isolated.
I’ve also done social media for the International Student Organization. I really like that especially, because I feel like social media can be underutilized on college campuses. It’s a very efficient way of getting information out to students. Not only am I broadcasting upcoming events, but I can also alert international students on jobs that are available – they have to be under very specific regulations for international students – and I can share other relevant reminders or useful tidbits of information.
What was it that attracted you to your major and minor, and how have you enjoyed your academic experience this far?
I’ve always been interested in both art and psychology. Finding art therapy was lucky for me, because it was a perfect combination of both of those things. I’ve had a nice experience here – the faculty are very supportive and understanding. I definitely don’t think I would be where I am now if I was at a larger university with different professors. The faculty have really impacted me.
What are your current plans after you graduate from Notre Dame next spring?
My plans are changing by the day. Recently, I would have told you I want to obtain a Ph.D. in psychology, but as of today, I want to earn a master’s in art therapy and then work towards my Ph.D. in art therapy to continue on into research and academia.
Is there any message you’d like to relay to your fellow students on campus?
Don’t be afraid to try new things because you’re afraid of changing as a person. College is about growing as an individual. Four years is a long period of time, and you don’t have to stay stagnant – it’s a good thing to change. I encourage everyone to try new things. We could always use more clubs on campus. Start a new club and see where that takes you.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
