Yale Elects 1st Muslim Student Body President in School's 320-Year History

Yale University, one of the oldest Ivy Leagues in the country, will have a Muslim student body president for the first time in the school's history.

Bayan Galal, a rising junior, ran on for student body president alongside newly elected vice president Zoe Hsu, the university announced in a statement.

Together, they received more than 56% of the vote.

“As a Muslim woman, I have only been able to accomplish things, so many of the things, that I’ve been able to because of other people who have advocated for me and advocated for people like me," Gala told WFSB. 

Galal is a double major in molecular biology and global affairs with a minor in global health studies.

The two women ran on a platform to support "building a healthier Yale."

"We have five central tenets of health – physical health, mental health, community health, academic health and financial health."

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