Artist Spotlight: Graduating Biology Major Maryam Fayza Talks about her Poem “What I Will”
- thepaper6
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
By Quinn Kinsella
Maryam Fayza is a graduating senior here at City College. She is a Biology major who is involved in numerous clubs at the college and aspires to a career in health care legislature. With less than a month before she walks the stage and receives her Bachelors of Science, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Fayza to discuss a poem she has shared with The Paper, her inspiration behind it and how literature and writing has inspired how she lives her life.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you do and your major here at City College?
My major is biology, as a Bachelors of Science with a minor in psychology. I’m also premed, CAPP (City Academy for Professional Preparation) and I’m part of three clubs. One is TriBeta Honor Society (biology research), Psychology Club, and Bangladesh Association of Students Club.
So would you say you’re very involved within the City College culture?
I would not say involved - I [was a] COVID graduate in high school so everything kind of stopped - y’know - so I had to transition during very difficult times, but I try to be involved as much as I can. But a lot of the time, y’know - pressure from my studies, I wasn’t able to continue other activities. But I am [involved] as often as I can be.
As a biology major, how long have you been writing creatively? Is it something you’ve always done in conjunction with school, or just on your own.
I immigrated here from Bangladesh at 12 years old – I was a shy kid at first. I came here first in Anaheim, California and grew up in Placentia California. I did my elementary and middle school there. And when I first came [to America] - it was difficult . . . it was a totally different culture. But over there [in California] I think maybe there were one or two Bangeleshi people, but it's a majority white and Hispanic [population]. So I was met with a lot of different cultures and a lot of different people, but I would say my writing started when I started joining clubs. I was in the writing club in seventh grade as well as the art club. I would say I was very lucky - all my English teachers pushed us to write and think critically from a very young age.
Who was the first artist or person in your life that inspired you when you were younger?
I just read whatever was available to me. For example, I read the Iranian poet Rumi; he wrote short and concise poems that got the message across. I would say I’m very fortunate because my mom taught me from a very young age. I read Bangeleshi poet/writer Kazi Nazrul Islam as well as Rabindranath Tagore – he wrote our national anthem. Then here [in America] I got exposed to more writers and poets and more work in middle school. I read a lot of Greek literature and great novels [such as] Where the Red Fern Grows, The Outsiders, and The Diary of Anne Frank. I was an honors student and we read advanced poetry that covered American history and also colonization. I cannot pinpoint just one piece because I read a lot of international [literature].
What I Will By Maryam Fayza I will not comply with your hate that you think is right. I will not reside with your shadow that is full of horror. I will not inflict the pain that you have been playing among. I will not beat down by your phony sympathy. I will not question your false pretense. I will not sing and dance to satisfy the hunger that lingers through your corrupted heart. I will not follow the brutal darkness of being misheard. I will create a path of light for me and my surroundings. I will never put down someone like an empty crown. I will always use my sense of justice against inequality whatever form it is. I will lift others through love and kindness. I will always cherish my identity like a stroke of paint. I am me, I will love myself as much as I love others. I will help others to find their missing pieces while finding mine. I will follow my heart no matter how cold it becomes. I will be the thunder that brings down evils and cast down the rains to wash it all away. |
Your poem that you’ve shared with The Paper, titled “What I Will” is a powerful piece on resilience and strength. What was the inspiration behind it?
I wrote it in freshman year in my very first [college level] English class. A lot of the credit goes to David Stulart, my English teacher. When I took Professor Stulart’s class, he made me love English again. He [fosters] creativity and gives us the structure of what he wants from a poem. He told us when we write we should use our 5 senses. He said writing should be free and people shouldn’t be criticized for writing how they’re feeling.
One line in particular stuck out to me - “I will never put down someone like an empty crown.” It is such a powerful line, can I ask the origin and the meaning of this line?
When I talk about the empty crown, I mean - a lot of times, when our ideas clash with close friends or family members, they try to bring up your past wrong[doings] and blame it on you. But it’s not your fault. We all are human, we all make mistakes. I’m not perfect either, but I dislike when people don’t also appreciate what you have done before and in your [past].
In a world that seemingly grows more pessimistic by the day, what do you do to stay positive? I ask this because “What I Will” is a very uplifting piece that acknowledges the darkness of modern times while also choosing to fight a way through it.
My thinking sometimes becomes negative, but I don’t see myself as having one identity. I am a Muslim woman, a proud Bangladeshi-American Muslim woman. My parents always told me to be respectful . . . try to love people and don’t try and [stricktly look for] their negative [attributes]. Try to forgive people in life. Nothing good comes from hatred and I’m lucky my parents have always tried to see the good in people. I embrace every religion. I don’t judge people on gender, race or what they believe in. You believe in whatever you want to believe in.
“What I Will” plays a lot with line breakage and punctuation. When writing poetry, how do you go about forming structure? Is it something that comes naturally, or is it systematic when you work through it in the edit?
When I write, I don’t like to think about [structure in that sense]. A lot of credit goes to Dr. Stulart because he proofread it and helped throughout the process. I only took two English writing classes - I have a science background - so I don’t get to write much creatively. But when I write poems, I don’t follow any rules because I’m not trying to publish. I see writing as a hobby.
When asked if she wanted to pursue writing as a career, Maryam was adamant that writing is strictly a hobby for her. Hobby or not, Fayza seems to be dialed into her own poetic language, and this writer hopes she continues to express herself through the written word.
Where do you see yourself in the future and what’s your dream position when it comes to a career?
At one point, I thought of becoming a med school student, but now I've changed my mind. My goal is to go towards health policy because what I’m seeing right now is a lot of people are not insured, there’s lots of issues going on [concerning] gender [medicine]. Also as a biology major, I see how environmental [policy] is changing. We need someone who knows all those sectors and who will [be able] to talk to people. I’ve worked in doctor’s offices, I’ve worked in retail and I always talk to people. I know their concerns and I’m an immigrant. I feel like those people that are coming from very disadvantaged backgrounds, or are new to the country - they might feel helpless.
Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen next fall?
Get involved! Explore when club and job fairs happen. Majors are not constrictive. Have fun with it! A major is something you should like and you would love the job that you’re [studying for]. It’s not all about studying and getting good grades, it’s about human connection too. When you don’t love something, then it’s very hard.
A dedicated student and talented poet, Maryam Fayza is a model CUNY student. Proving the American dream is still very much alive, despite the increasingly precarious state of the nation, Fayza’s aspirations in healthcare policy are nothing short of inspiring. I had the pleasure of talking with her about her views and beliefs when it comes to the policies she wishes to amend, and I am confident in her success in her chosen career path. Graduating just next month, Fayza’s work ethic and dedication as well as the hobby of writing creatively is proof that you don’t have to stick to the conventions of your chosen path.