Ashwag has repeatedly demonstrated sustainability leadership for the University community through her inclusive and creative approaches to sharing knowledge and understandings of sustainability, not only embarking on her own journey this year but bringing a broad community along with her. In 2021, Ash set out to translate the University’s sustainability tour into Arabic, this was not a simple, word to word translation. Ash contacted Arabic speakers at other universities, read widely and consulted with community members to translate the concept of sustainability and the features of the tour into Arabic. She ran the first Arabic language sustainability tour for staff, students and community members in April 2021.

She challenged her own understanding and built new relationships with the broader community. Ash is the first female president of a large society for Muslim students at the University, through consulting with the society Ash connected new students with sustainability practices, for example, their work to feed students during the COVID lockdown, the transition to reusable containers for meals, and the volunteering contributions of members of the society. Those involved in Ash’s project provided feedback that they were unaware that their practices were connected to sustainability until they were part of the project.