We’re excited to announce that we have two interns working with us this summer, Shah Sayfullobekov and Roland Swank! Both are students at Grinnell College who participated in our last Called to Climate Action Conference in Cedar Rapids. They went home so excited that they immediately got to work on a proposal for the internship program at Grinnell.
Shah and Roland will be helping us with various projects this summer: office filing, social media posts around Islam and climate advocacy, visiting area mosques central Iowa and conducting interviews around environmental stewardship, and much more. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to work with these creative, amazing individuals! Here’s a bit more about each of them.
Shah Sayfullobekov
I am a student at Grinnell College studying Mathematics and Economics, and my background has shaped why this internship matters to me. I was born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and later moved to New York City, so I grew up thinking a lot about what it means to leave one place, enter another, and still feel responsible for the communities you become part of. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, said, “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6416). That hadith speaks to me because it reminds me that we are not permanent owners of the Earth. We are passing through it, and that means we should care for it with humility and responsibility. People like Zohran Mamdani also inspire me because they show how someone with an immigrant and Muslim background can use public service to speak for communities that are often overlooked.
Coming to Grinnell became an important part of my personal and spiritual journey. My parents sacrificed their health, families and lives and came here to help me, my older brother and younger twin sisters get a strong education to be set on a path full of opportunities. Being in a smaller Iowa community also made me reflect more seriously on who I was and what kind of life I wanted to live. Through the Muslim community and guidance from Imam Abdul Muhaymin, I eventually reverted to Sunni Islam at 19, which made my faith feel more grounded and personal.
That is part of why this internship feels meaningful to me: it connects my faith with climate work in a way that is practical, not just theoretical. The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, also said, “The world is sweet and green,” and that Allah has made us successors in it to see how we act (Sahih Muslim 2742). To me, this means that caring for the Earth is part of how we live out our values. In the future, I would love to do climate-related work connected to Tajikistan, especially for communities in the mountains that can be cut off or put in danger when the environment changes. I think a lot about how roads, water systems, and local communication can affect people’s daily lives. A blocked road does not just mean inconvenience; it can stop trade, separate families, delay help, and make villages feel isolated. I am interested in learning how communities can build better warning systems, protect important routes, and use resources like hydropower in a way that helps people while also preparing for future climate risks. This internship feels like a first step toward learning how to connect faith, community, and climate action in a way that can eventually help both Iowa communities and communities back home.
Roland Swank
I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, lived in the Philippines for seven years, and later moved to Denver before coming to Grinnell, where I study Economics and Psychology at Grinnell College. Growing up in tropical environments shaped my appreciation for greenery, architecture, and the relationship between people and the natural world, especially through Balinese design traditions that integrate nature into daily life. I’ve also been interested in Indonesia’s transition toward its future capital, Nusantara, a new city designed with long-term sustainability and environmental planning in mind.
After attending the 2026 Iowa Faith and Climate Network conference, I was inspired by Shaffer Ridgeway’s presenta
tion on regenerative farming. I hope to pursue Zaytuna College’s Permaculture Design Certificate Course next summer and work closely with Rhamis Kent.Environmentalism ties hand in hand with Islam. Three hadiths that especially resonate with me are: “No Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, person, or animal eats from it, except that it is charity for him” (Sahih al-Bukhari), “Do not waste water, even if you perform ablution on the banks of a flowing river” (Sahih al-Bukhari), and “Eat and drink, but do not waste. Indeed, He does not like the wasteful.” – Qur’an 7:31.
