"Project Management, one of the core MSIM courses, was essential in my new role this year; everything in that course I could directly apply to my work."

Meet Halimah Rosanally, a first-year student in the Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program, specializing in user experience. She is a marketing coordinator for ICNA Relief, a national domestic relief organization that is part of the Islamic Circle of North America. It is a faith-inspired organization that is focused domestic human needs issues that include responding to disasters and providing transitional housing for women and children.

Q. What inspired you to get a Master's in Information Management?

A. I was inspired to apply for this program when I got a job at a nonprofit organization. Working at ICNA Relief, I wanted to get more involved in the community, so I decided to go for a master’s to be qualified to take on more responsibility.

Q. What made you decide to attend Wayne State?

A. I did my undergrad at Wayne State. I was a French major, and to apply for a Wayne State graduate program seemed like the easiest and most logical decision. I have a bit of a programming background, so I gravitated toward the MSIM program.

Q. What do you enjoy most about your program?

A. I like that the classes are asynchronous, and that the faculty are very helpful. With my program, I can combine many of my interests, like writing, programming, and design.

Q. You are a Dean's Diversity Merit Scholar – how has being nominated and receiving the scholarship impacted you? What advice would you give to prospective students who want to pursue scholarships?

A. I was fortunate to receive the Dean's Diversity Master's Scholarship; it was a deciding factor in whether or not I could attend grad school. In addition to helping me financially, the Grad Fellows Learning Community helped me better navigate the grad school landscape. To those who want to apply for scholarships, I say go for it! I didn't even know this program existed until late in my senior year of college, let alone the scholarships for it!

Q. What does your work with ICNA Relief entail?

A. When I started at ICNA Relief's Michigan branch last year, I was the administrative coordinator, where I helped clients register for programs we offer, like food assistance, financial assistance, temporary housing, and funeral assistance. This year, I moved into the marketing coordinator position where I'm handling more of the design and organizational functions of the Michigan branch, like fundraising, connecting with donors, event planning, managing volunteers, and my favorite, designing marketing materials. This led me to decide on user experience for my concentration.

Q. Have any courses or extracurricular activities offered at SIS assisted you with your work at ICNA Relief?

A. Project Management, one of the core MSIM courses, was essential in my new role this year; everything in that course I could directly apply to my work, for example, taking an idea and fully developing it through a project description before presenting it to my supervisor helped me fill in the gaps on any info I would've overlooked. Managing all of an event's moving parts is easier when you know who exactly is doing what and when deliverables are expected.

My participation in the Future Librarians for Inclusivity and Diversity (FLID) reminds me that I have opportunities to highlight diverse voices in addition to my own as a woman of color and to encourage people to speak up and go after what they want, even if it's off the beaten path.

Q. After completing the program, where do you see yourself working?

A. In a few years, I see myself as a marketing director (or working my way up) at a really cool advertising company that highly values creativity, diversity, and inclusion.