Backstage at a campus cultural event during her freshman year, Qamar Naji noticed another student standing alone, preparing to represent her country.

Naji — who also goes by Luna to some students on campus — said she introduced herself and asked about the student’s traditional outfit. As more students gathered, Naji began switching between languages to explain the student’s culture to new friends.

“What started as silence and awkward glances of curiosity soon turned into a space where I tried to make differences learned about, understood, and celebrated rather than ‘tolerated,’” Naji said.

It is the kind of moment Naji aims to create across campus: one where people feel seen, understood and welcomed. That approach to service and inclusion earned her a Keeper of the Dream scholarship, which recognizes Oakland University students whose leadership helps break down racial and cultural stereotypes and promotes unity.

The Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Award was established in January 1993 and recognizes students who contribute to interracial understanding and goodwill. The program honors the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and awards scholarships up to $10,000.

For Naji, the award brought both relief and validation.

“It represents hope — hope that our society is still fighting for equality and fairness against all forms of discrimination,” Naji said. “It assures me that the efforts that reflect the dream are valued, seen, and celebrated.”

Naji said she was “extremely nervous” opening the decision letter and skimmed for key words before realizing she had been selected. Her first thought, she said, was to call her parents.

“I wanted them to be the first to know that their support and sacrifices throughout my freshman year were finally acknowledged,” Naji said. “This award affirmed that I am taking the right steps toward a path that aligns with how they raised me — to serve those in need, to stand up for fairness and to make a meaningful difference.”

Naji is a sophomore majoring in health science pre-professions. She said her campus involvement centers on inclusion and service, including volunteering weekly with OUCARES during the semester. She also helps with events through the Office for Student Involvement (OSI), serves as a student representative on a council that works with the provost’s office, and is the social media coordinator for OU’s Diverse Dental Society, a pre-dental club.

At OUCARES, Naji volunteers with the basketball program, helping participants with drills and ending sessions with a coaches vs. players game. She said she measures impact through small moments — a participant trying something new, building confidence, or celebrating a success.

One day, she arrived a few minutes late while sick and learned participants had been asking about her.

“I was proud to know that I managed to create a warmer atmosphere for them that they missed,” Naji said, adding that some participants have nicknamed her “Princess Pearl.”

Naji said she previously served on the e-board for the Arabic Medical Terminology Society, where she planned game nights featuring basic emergency room terminology in Arabic and English, along with study sessions intended to welcome students of different majors and backgrounds.

“I chose health care because I love helping others,” Naji said. “I want every patient to [be] seen as a person, not judged or treated differently because of their nationality, skin color or language barriers.”

Off campus, Naji volunteers at the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, where she helps prepare rooms, set up dental exam trays, sanitize tools, welcome patients and record vital signs before treatment. She also assists during dental procedures and sometimes interprets for patients, she said, especially those from Middle Eastern backgrounds.

“Patients can usually communicate their case better in their native language,” Naji said.

Naji said her path at OU has included challenges, including financial difficulties and immigration restrictions that affected her ability to work and obtain a driver’s license. Still, she said she found support by asking questions and using campus resources — and she encourages other students to do the same.

“Do not give up if you feel like you know less,” Naji said. “Utilize campus resources because they are there for you. Start with OSI.”