The first thing that pops into my head on a Monday morning is usually, “what is next Saturday’s session going to be like?” Even while I’m sitting in class, all the beautiful memories I’ve experienced as an assistant mentor constantly play in my head. I’ve found that I always learn something after every session, whether during lectures, workshops, or just free time, I find myself encountering something I haven’t before.

The hardest part of Saturday’s for me, is waiting until the clock hits 1:30 so l can leave my house and see the many different smiles on our kid’s faces coming together to have fun and learn new things in a way I like to call, “Utopian Style.” The saddest part however, is when the clock hits 8:00 and I find myself waving goodbye to everyone and having to wait a whole nother week to see them again.

Utopia means “perfect society,” and though we know nothing is perfect, perhaps to us, our six hour program is exactly that. We like to think of Utopia as our own little world that gets bigger and better. No matter what event is going on, from Saturday sessions, to qiyams, to Summer camp, carnivals, and Eid parties, there has always been a comforting warmth surrounding our environment. Utopia has become a second home to me and to many other assistants and mentors. Our team is unique in that we have many beautiful qualities and share the same goal: to get as close as we can to building that “perfect society” through Islamic teachings conveyed onto our youth. We also share a very tight bond, which aids in teamwork and cooperation. We’ve found that anyone who joins Utopia almost immediately feels welcome. Our family is a beautiful one, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.