Sherrie Miday is the first Egyptian woman to run for the position of judge in the United States. If she wins the elections, which will be held on November 4, 2104, she will become the first American judge of Egyptian descent. She would also be following in the footsteps of these ground-breaking Coptic women in the U.S.:
– Ambassador Marcelle Wahba, former U.S. ambassador to the Arab United Emirates and the first Egyptian woman to hold an ambassadorial level position in the State Department;
– Amira Faltaos Gawhara, former dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Toledo, Ohio, and the first Egyptian dean of a Medical College in the U.S.
– Dina Powell, the first Egyptian to hold the position of Assistant Secretary of State, as assistant to then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice;
– The granddaughter of Saba Pasha Habashi as the first Egyptian to serve as host and president of the New York classical music station;
– Eva Habib Al-Masri, the first Egyptian to head a New York social association established in her home in 1963. Before emigrating to the U.S., she was the first Egyptian female to graduate from the American University in Cairo in 1929, and the first editor in chief of Al-Mara’a, a woman magazine issued by Huda Shaarawy;
– Nermine Riad, the first Egyptian-American to establish and chair a large orphans’ association in Egypt, “Coptic Orphans”.
Sherrie also represents thousands of young Coptic women of the second generation, who have achieved remarkable success in the U.S., where hundreds have gone into the prestigious legal field.
Sherrie has an ecclesiastical familial background as the daughter of Father Mikhail Edward Mikhail, pastor of the Church of St. Mark in Cleveland, Ohio. Father Mikhail emigrated to the U.S. in 1975, and was the 8th priest sent by His Holiness the late Pope Shenouda to serve in the U.S. He holds a Ph.D. in theology from the U.S., and has authored several books, with the most recent being the golden words of Pope Shenouda in four volumes. As his daughter, Sherrie also received the blessings of H.H. the late Pope Shenouda, as her family became well acquainted with him during the long years he spent receiving medical treatment in Cleveland.
In addition to her excellent academic and professional achievements, Ms. Miday is also socially active, and highly trusted by the Coptic community and a number of other Egyptian and Arab circles in the U.S as well as in her local community. She has served on the Board of Directors for The Edna House, a rehabilitation center for alcoholic women in Cleveland, as well as on St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church’s Board of Directors.
Ohio State Representative Marcia Fudge has publicly endorsed Miday’s bid for office in a video clip posted on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jouBA2YHCq0&;feature=youtu.be
The American Arab Institute in Washington assertively supports her, as indicated in the article linked below:
http://www.aaiusa.org/blog/entry/sherrie-mikhail-miday-paving-a-path-to-the-bench/
Furthermore, she has received the blessing and support of His Holiness Pope Tawadros, as well as a number of American and Egyptian public figures, as shown at this link:
http://www.copticworld.org/articles/3195/
That being said, how can we, as Egyptians in the U.S., help her win this post?
Only the residents of Cuyahoga County can vote for her, show their support by volunteering in her campaign, or through a community outreach to introduce her to the county’s people. As for those outside the county, they can express their support by making donations as little as $10 and not exceeding $600 for individual donations. A rising number of donors would be proof that she is leading a successful campaign, enjoying an excellent reputation and becoming increasingly popular. You can donate at the official campaign’s website at this link:
You can also join her Facebook page, and keep track of her news at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherrie-Miday-for-Judge/213889022130871
Sherrie Miday’s success is a new addition to the numerous Coptic accomplishments in the Diaspora, and counts as a valuable achievement for the Egyptian and Arab community in the U.S. Hence, we encourage each and every one to support her in whatever form, even if only with an encouraging word. Sherrie is a daughter of Egypt, of the Church, and of the community, and is a praiseworthy representative for all Egyptians.