April 29, 2021

Zerina Spahic: Trying to Walk the Middle Path Zerina Spahic spent her formative years throughout Europe and the United States. A war victim, her first-hand knowledge of the struggles refugees face post-conflict have been instrumental in guiding her activism on gender equality and the right to development. She completed her Graduate degree in International Law at […]

Reem Odeh: Learning to Embrace Dual Identities Reem Odeh is a lawyer and an advocate for the Arab American community. While life hasn’t always been easy for Reem, both her Palestinian and American identities have shaped her, changed her and given her a unique opportunity to serve her children and clients.  In my family, it

Humaira Ghilzai: A Secular Muslim in Mecca Humaira is the co-founder of Afghan Friends Network (AFN). She was the cultural consultant for stage productions of the Kite Runner, BLOOD AND GIFTS, and other theatrical and Hollywood media. Humaira blogs about Afghan culture and cuisine on her widely popular site—Afghan Culture Unveiled. Previously, Humaira was director of International Marketing at

Omnia Hegazy: Finding My Belonging On Stage Omnia Hegazy is a musician and song-writer. She grew up in New York City. A citizen of the world, with a passion for music and storytelling, Omnia shares her unique narrative incorporating music, mixed heritage, belonging, and identity. I am an American of many identities. My father is an Egyptian

Sabah Fakhoury: Turning Pain Into Power Sabah Fakhoury is a Dearborn, Michigan native, CEO and Founder at Sabah Communications. She is an observer, writer,  reporter and a communicator of trends, ideas and issues in business, education, and religion that crosses geographical boundaries. It took me 35+ years of struggling to overcome what I saw as abuses

Hanan Yahya: Defying All Preconceived Cultural Barriers  Hanan Yahya, a senior at the University of Michigan­Ann Arbor studying Social Theory and Practice with a concentration in Urban Studies; and minors in Entrepreneurship and Community Action and Social Change. You can follower her on Instagram  @#theeBlaze Born in Yemen, I moved to the United States at 3 years old

Sabina Hajdarovic: Garnering Confidence In My Identity Sabina Hajdarovic is currently a student at Loyola University Chicago. She is also an intern with MALA for the Fall 2016 semester. In her unique story, she explains how a trip changed her confidence, perspective, and outlook in regards to her personal heritage, whilst securing a sense of

Awatif Yahya: Breaking From the Norm Awatif Yahya is the founder of Awe Horizons, a company that offers leadership workshops and consultancy services to business managers and entrepreneurs to help them gain competitive advantage. Here, she shares her journey of “breaking from the norm.” I have made it my mission to break perceptions and stereotypes for

Nazhah Khawaja: Respect Yourself First and Foremost Nazhah Khawajah shares her experiences navigating the Chicago school system as a young adult and finding fulfillment in her career, as well as in her personal life.  Her story is one of risk-taking, intuition, and self-advocacy. “I was born in Chicago, Illinois, right here in the city.  I

Salah Al-Mejri: From Tunisia to America- My Journey in the NBA At 7-foot-2, Salah Al-Mejri is larger than life. A Tunisian professional basketball player for the NBA Dallas Mavericks and a representative of the Tunisian national basketball team internationally, he has made a name for himself nationally and globally. In his story Al-Mejri shares his journey to