Q&A: Faique Moqeet
Economics and Philosophy, Class of 2016
Faique Moqeet ’16 is the CEO of Project ARC, a nonprofit he founded as a freshman in high school.
Like many students at Northwestern, Faique Moqeet ’16 isn’t getting as much sleep as he’d like. But Moqeet isn’t just a student. He’s also the CEO of Project ARC, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization he founded when he was just a freshman in high school.
Since then, Project ARC has raised thousands of dollars for an orphanage in Cameroon, collected hundreds of eyeglasses for donation in Pakistan, and established a presence at colleges across the country.
Moqeet spoke to Weinberg magazine about changing lives around the world while still getting his homework done.
What drove you to start Project ARC?
I just really wanted to do something. You can go about service in many ways, but when you take full charge of it, it’s a lot more fun. This was an opportunity for my friends and me to do something together.
How do you choose which causes to support?
We support things that are very fundamental, like shelter, medicine and healthcare. We address the most primary needs of people, so you’re not going to see us supporting things like, say, music in America.
How did Project ARC evolve from a high school service project into a national organization?
I got into contact with a bunch of students I know from across the country and told them about Project ARC and what we do. They all thought the idea was so cool and wanted to bring it to their own schools. So I thought, why not amplify our efforts? My board and I sat down and figured out how we could run this project nationally.
How do you make time for Project ARC and your other roles at Northwestern?
It cuts into my sleep a lot. I have found that it is possible to be deeply involved with a lot of things; it just takes a lot out of you. College requires a lot more discipline than I expected.
I’m majoring in economics and philosophy, both of which I find deeply fascinating. I enjoy what I study, so that’s why it’s balanceable.
What impact do you hope to make upon the world?
I know I want to help people. You don’t live only for yourself, especially if you’ve been given a lot of opportunities, as I feel I have. I know that I want to help as many people as possible in a scalable and systematic way.