Name

• Aliya Janjua

Education

• Undergrad in International Relations and Japanese (UC Davis) & Post-Grad in Masters of Business Administration (University of San Francisco)

Profession

• Client Services Professional

Are you currently or have you been an MCC Board Member?

• No

How many years have you been part of the MCC Community?

• 14 years

What do you enjoy most about the MCC?

• What stands out to me most is the breadth of MCC’s programming from community service and youth initiatives to the AI-focused programs and the caliber of speakers we bring in. It reflects a community center that’s thinking about the whole person and the whole community, under the umbrella of a Muslim American identity.

What do you think can be improved about the MCC?

• I’d like to see us invest more deliberately in our youth and elderly members by building structured mentorship and support programs that connect generations rather than serving them in parallel. Our youth need guidance as they navigate identity and community. Our elders have wisdom and time to offer. A formal mentorship framework could bridge both needs.

What kind of positive impact will you have on the MCC?

• I’ve already begun this work as a guest speaker for MCC’s Sunday school program, leading communication skills sessions with our high schoolers, and contributing to the AI initiative for the broader community. As a board director, I want to build on that momentum: formalizing youth mentorship pathways, deepening our AI and digital literacy programming, and creating more ways for community members, especially our youth, to actively lead alongside our elders and speakers, not just attend.