Service Award

Aisha A. AlFadhalah, H Sci ’13
Baltimore, Md.

For Aisha AlFadhalah, the Jesuit ideal of cura peronalis (care for the whole person) is achieved through food. The business she helped co-found, Mera Kitchen Collective in Baltimore, focuses on the empowerment of chefs from around the world by celebrating their talents in the kitchen and highlighting the value newcomers bring to the fabric of our society.

Aisha enjoys bringing people together in the ritual of communing over food from around the world. She believes food is a tool to create cross-cultural communication and relationships. Through Mera, which is a co-op, she provides opportunities for newcomers to use their skills in the kitchen to support their families and find their place in the United States. Not only does Aisha assist refugee and immigrant women, she also works full time as a speech language pathologist to help kids on the autism spectrum improve their communication skills.

Aisha defines success as meaningful engagement with the community, which she wholeheartedly demonstrates through Mera. Recent and upcoming collaborations with the Baltimore community include partnering with the Pratt Library to host Iftar, the main meal of a fasting day during Ramadan, that is open to the public and includes speakers. Mera is also starting an artist in residence program to showcase art from the Baltimore community in its space.

Aisha chose to attend Marquette for its focus on community service, and she continues to live out the Marquette mission knowing that service is essential for a life of purpose. She hopes that Mera Kitchen Collective can be a model that inspires others to create co-ops and cross-cultural places in their own communities.

Fun Facts:

Name a Marquette faculty or staff member who had an impact on you, and how.
Susan Whipple: The Office of International Education was my home away from home. We celebrated holidays, explored Milwaukee, laughed, and created memories.

Dr. Raquel Aguilu de Murphy: We went to Bolivia for a summer to study abroad. Dr. Raquel made learning meaningful and relatable. Out of the classroom, she cheered me on when I signed up for a marathon in Cochabamba.

Dr. Eugenia Afinoguénova: She showed me that a new language is a new portal for a new world. She is the reason I majored in Spanish, and she exposed me to the art in El Prado and the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago.

What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?
I think the small moments are my favorites. Dinners with my friend Matthew in McCormick at the end of the day, walks on campus with Jacob, the library on Saturday morning with Sophia, and meeting the new students when I worked in the OIE.

Leave a congratulatory message for Aisha!