Boxing for good: Layann Wardeh ’26

Story written by Grace Odmark ’26

Layann Wardeh ’26 has taken full advantage of the opportunity to grow in community and leadership during her time as a Notre Dame student through her participation in the Baraka Bouts Women’s Boxing Club. On campus and abroad, Layann has lived out the club’s mission: building strong bodies and supporting Holy Cross Mission Centers in Uganda.

Layann grew up in Jordan and is a senior studying computer engineering. While exploring Notre Dame’s many student activity groups prior to starting her freshman year, Layann learned about the Baraka Bouts Women’s Boxing Club. Motivated by her involvement in Taekwondo before college and a desire to continue practicing a martial art, she thought joining Baraka Bouts would be the perfect opportunity to develop her skills and build relationships with other Notre Dame students who shared the goal of fundraising for Holy Cross Missions.

During her freshman year, one of the team captains recognized Layann’s potential as a competitive fighter in the tournament. He helped her hone her skills outside of official practice hours, was in her corner during sparring sessions, and eventually advised her during a tournament in which she made the semifinals.

“Once I got to Baraka Bouts, it was the community and the fundraising that kept me.”

When Baraka Bouts sent an email to raise awareness about a fellowship opportunity at the Holy Cross Missions it supports in Uganda, Layann was immediately interested in participating.

Layann became eligible to apply to the program during her sophomore year and joined the fellowship for eight weeks the following summer. Her role as a fellow was to teach the students at St. Joseph’s Hill in Kyembogo, Uganda, specifically in mathematics and Information Communication Technology (ICT) classes. Additionally, Layann chose to research ways to effectively teach STEM subjects in under-resourced communities. She investigated ways to build upon the methods currently in use at the school, which were heavily reliant on a sparse supply of textbooks.

Inspired by her computer engineering classes at Notre Dame, Layann helped the teachers at the school integrate scripted skits into their lectures, helping students to understand complex concepts in tangible, real-world contexts. Furthermore, she noticed that many classrooms would only have textbooks available for about one-third of the students present. To address this issue, she helped teachers create PowerPoints to utilize in the classroom, which gave students without textbooks something to reference during the lecture.

“During my eight weeks, I was trying to teach mathematics in a new way that wasn’t necessarily done there before… I spent the first two weeks looking at how the teachers were teaching, saying, can I teach in a way that I’m taught here at Notre Dame?”

Outside of the classroom, Layann helped students in their study halls and learned about the various clubs in which students were involved at the school. She enjoyed being able to grow in relationships with students during these times when she was not acting as their teacher. Students were excited for Layann to join in practices for sports teams such as netball, volleyball, and basketball, as well as at clubs including dance, debate, and choir.

One of the most notable experiences Layann had during her time at St. Joseph’s Hill was when the school hosted a regional competition in volleyball, basketball, netball, and dance. The entire school rallied together to prepare for the event, cleaning out classrooms and setting up various areas where students would gather to compete and cheer for their schoolmates. She found the event itself to be just as inspiring, watching students cheer on one another, regardless of whether they progressed to the next round in their own competition. Motivated by this experience, Layann considered how she too could lead teams in a positive, supportive manner despite disappointments, and to view competition as something to be grateful for, no matter the outcome.

“It was just awesome to see all of the St. Joseph’s Hill students supporting one another,” she said.

Returning to Notre Dame for her junior year, Layann was a practice captain for Baraka Bouts. Based on her experience the previous summer, she had a newfound motivation to fundraise for the tournament and raised more than she had in either of her prior years of competition. During the tournament, she focused on supporting others and being thankful for the opportunity to participate, reflecting the attitudes she had witnessed and admired in the St. Joseph’s Hill students.

“I love the students and seeing the impact that Baraka Bouts has. I’m still in touch with some of the priests and students there, and I think that they loved us too. They were looking for genuine connections with the people who came to visit them.”

Now a senior, Layann is the president of Baraka Bouts. This year, she aims to focus on recruiting new members to the club, reaching out to club members to offer additional support, and mentoring outside of practice hours, just as a captain once did for her. Layann is leading Baraka Bouts in gaining endurance, practicing technique, and fundraising in preparation for the annual tournament, which started on November 5, 2025.

“Something I’ve been trying to keep up with this year is seeing how we can reach out to club members to work with them outside of normal hours so that they can improve in ways they didn’t think they could before.”

Layann’s experiences with Baraka Bouts and the Center for Social Concerns Fellowships are made possible by support from the Notre Dame family. Your generosity empowers Notre Dame students to act as a force for good in the community.