Calculating Moves

When Marshall University graduate student Hind Jamal started helping with freshmen orientation activities, her role was to invite incoming freshmen to make bracelets with her in the Memorial Student Center.

Her supervisor, Shaunte Polk, knew that Hind, a welcoming and friendly graduate assistant at the ACE Center on campus, would be perfect for the role, but as Hind set out games and other activities to engage the new students, something unexpected began to unfold after she set up a chess board.

“There were breaks in between shifts, and a student was standing there staring at the board, and I was like, ‘Interested in a game?’” said Hind, who grew up in Lebanon and is working toward a master’s degree in healthcare administration. “He said, ‘Yeah, I only know the basics,’ and I said, ‘Let’s go. It’s fun.’

“He looked nervous, and I said, ‘Don’t be nervous. You’re only playing the president of the chess club at Marshall,’” she recalled with a laugh.

She let him win, and in the process set into motion a fun new experience for incoming students at Orientation — play the chess club president and see how you do.

“One day, she started playing a few games, and it led to a daily activity,” said Marcie Simms, vice president of Student Affairs for Marshall.

Besides a voluntary loss or two to build students’ confidence, she is unbeaten.

“I’ve been playing the students on Orientation Days. I beat all the freshmen. I’m flexing here,” she said — adding, however, that she did have some losses to the president of a past Marshall chess club and to an exceptionally talented high school student.

It’s an interest that started when she was young and grew stronger when she watched “The Queen’s Gambit” TV series. But her passion for the sport really came to life in the past year.

“Now, my mentality is different – whatever I want to do, I’ll do it,” she said. “Nothing is stopping me, like, ‘It’s only for smart people.’ No. I’m smart and I’m doing it. My mindset is different than when I was a kid, so I didn’t hesitate.”

She started playing her brother — and losing. But with opportunities to hone her skills online, she was eventually able to beat him and learned to love the game so much that in the spring semester of 2026, she founded a chess club on campus, The Queens of the Herd. It’s brand new and is open to both men and women.

What she likes about chess is that the rules are the same for everyone — it’s what you make of them.

She welcomes players of all levels to the new chess club — new and experienced — to celebrate the sport and meet other enthusiasts.

This is the second new organization on campus that she’s helped start to help her find community amongst others with similar interests. The other is the Islamic Advocacy Council (IAC).

“We went around, me and my friends, and were recruiting girls right and left,” she said. “Any girl that looked Arab or looked Muslim, with a hijab, we said, ‘Come here. What’s your Instagram? Give me your number.’ We’ve built such a beautiful community of 30 plus people.”

The IAC gathers in the ACE Center between classes, all representing a variety of countries — Lebanon, Syria, Nigeria and more.

“Those are the most beautiful memories I have. I built long-lasting, amazing friendships,” she said. “We all had that same experience, where you want to find people who resemble you in one way or another to avoid feeling left out or like you stand out too much. It helps a lot. You gain confidence. You talk to different people and realize, ‘Wait a minute. I can enjoy talking to all types of people from all backgrounds and races.’ They’re amazing.”

She chose to attend Marshall because her father, an engineer, had attended and lived in Huntington for about 10 years, she said. She had learned English in school, but moving to the United States still came with some culture shock.

“It wasn’t a problem of me to understand people or the lecturer or the notes, or any of that. My problem was I couldn’t, for the life of me, express myself,” Hind said. “It was frustrating.”

It took some time to build the confidence and the social skills that she demonstrates now.

“I grew so much and changed in beautiful ways, and I think it’s all because of the culture here and the relationships I had, whether it was friendships or mentorships, all of it,” Hind said.

She earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences in 2024, minoring in chemistry and psychology and working in the Counseling Center. At the time, she planned to become a doctor but has changed her mind.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the hospital arena. I’ve wanted to help in one way or another,” she said. “Someone I look up to told me, ‘Hind, if you’re confused on what to do in life, stop listening to other people. Take some time. Know who you are. Know what you’re naturally good at and your skills and choose paths in life that you’re going to thrive in because you already have those capabilities.’”

That led her to healthcare administration.

“I noticed that I have good people skills. I communicate well. A lot of people gravitate toward me for advice,” she said. “I still want to be in a hospital and help others. Now, I want to do that by being a healthcare leader — taking care of the system that makes healthcare possible in the first place.”

Marshall has been a tremendous place to build toward her future, she said.

“The professors are really helpful, and the resources are good,” she said. “Also, the environment is nice. People are more open, more accepting. I’m so glad. It’s a very accepting space.”