NORTHFIELD – An American Muslim woman has made history after she was approved as the first hijab-clad student in the US oldest private military college.

“Yes I will be attending Norwich in the fall,” 17-year-old Sana Hamze told WCAX.com on Tuesday, May 31.

Wishing to enroll in a military school while donning her hijab, Hamze was faced by rejection from South Carolina’s military academy The Citadel.

“Why is it causing a big uproar for a Muslim student who wants to wear a hijab to go to a military college when the military itself makes accommodations for it?” said Hamze.

The young Muslim woman later made history after persuaded Norwich University to change its uniform policy to accommodate her religious beliefs and allow hijab.

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.

Norwich President Richard Schneider said the school made the right decision altering the dress code policy for cadets for the first time in 200 years.

“One of my responsibilities to our students is to prepare them for the future, whether they are going to be working for GE, WCAX or the US Military,” said Schneider.

Norwich will also allow Jewish cadets to wear the yarmulke with their uniforms.

The decision allowed Hamze to pursue her goal and serve her country.

“Me trying to attend the Citadel and Norwich University wearing my hijab is simply because I want to be in the US military,” said Hamze.

“I want to serve this country.”