SEATTLE – Unlike many American youth, 19-year-old Hikma Sherka says the biggest motivation she got to pursue a law career was discrimination her mother faced for wearing hijab.

“I want to show people that being Muslim is not going to stop me from any of my dreams. It’s actually going to push me to become a better person and to achieve the goals that I have for myself,” Sherka told Q13 News This Morning on Tuesday, July 19.

“American Muslim youth have a right to the same aspirations and dreams as every other American.”

Discriminated against for donning hijab, Sherka’s mother inspired her to pursue a career as a civil rights attorney.

“A couple of years ago, my mum was discriminated against in our place because of her hijab,” Sherka said.

“So, this inspired me to pursue a career in law to make sure people like my mum who did not know what their rights were have an advocate, or someone to fight for them.

The young Muslim woman recalled incidents of people rejecting to sit next to her in the bus because of the way she is dressed.

The situation was getting worse after Donald Trump, the presidential candidate for the Republican party, called for a total ban on Muslims entering the US.

“Every time to turn on the TV or every time you read an article there are negative results against Muslims,” she added.

“For me, it started to become my motivation,” Sherka added with a shy smile on her face.

Already in her third year of college, the Ethiopian immigrant is well on her way to law school.

“Being Muslim is who I am. I want to show people that being a Muslim is not going to stop me from any of my dreams… to become a better person, to achieve the goals that I have for myself,” Sherka said.

“American Muslim youth have the right to the same aspirations and dreams as any other young American.”