uMentor Talk Show

Husain Jaffer was born in Queens, New York and has lived most of his life in Orlando, FL. He completed his MBA from Crummer Graduate School of Business and his undergraduate degree from Rollins College, majoring in International Business and minors in Economics & Spanish. His career has ranged from working for a private real estate firm, being a business owner, to his current role as a real estate appraiser analyst for Orange County, Florida. His roles outside his career included leading the Who is Hussain Orlando Chapter, leading Outreach efforts for a local Islamic center, Principal for IEC Academy, Assistant Principal for Ark Academy, and being the Director for the Central Board of Education in Orlando. He has worked on projects such as a career mentorship program pairing working professionals with aspiring students, developing a robotics camp, organizing family camps, and many other endeavors for the sake of God. He hopes to continue making an impact on the community before departure.

Dr. Iqbal Jaffer is currently a staff cardiac surgeon and the program director of the cardiac surgery residency program at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences. During his undergraduate education, he switched from life sciences to religious studies at McMaster University. He went to medical school in Australia, but then decided to return to Canada for residency. Dr. Jaffer took a break from residency to complete a PhD in Medical Science. He completed residency in 2019 and began his role as a staff surgeon. Earlier in 2022, he became an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the program director of cardiac residency at McMaster.

Raza Padhani is currently a software engineer at a logistics-focused technology company. Prior to his current role, he worked as a software engineering consultant, and prior to that, he worked in supply chain and operations. He graduated from The University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In his free time, he volunteers on the scholarship committee for Seminole State College of Florida to empower more students to obtain an education. He also enjoys playing racquet sports and golf, and practicing improv.

Marcus got his first role coaching when he was 14 years old, working at a summer camp for 6-10 year olds. Through this experience, a love of sharing his knowledge and working with kids was kindled, and every summer since he worked some sort of summer camp or enrichment class. He is currently in his 4th year of a 5-year program, studying to get a BA and MA in Education and a California teaching credential for Math. He also works as a Physical Education (PE) coach and substitute teacher at City of Knowledge, a K-12 Islamic school in Pomona, California and is a volunteer basketball coach for Claremont Youth Basketball. He credits the adults in his life who made him feel seen and heard for inspiring him to do the same for the younger generations and hopes his work can serve as an expression of gratitude for those that have guided him.

Fatema Masuma Alidina is a 4th year nursing student at Ryerson University. She is currently completing a placement in a cardiology department in Toronto. She is also a research assistant under a professor of community nursing, studying the role of health promoters at primary schools in African Francophone countries. Outside of school, Fatema is co-president of Ryerson's Thaqalayn Muslim Association, a student-run organization predominantly catering for the Shi'a community on campus. Fatema plans on working as a clinical nurse, with aspirations in public health as well.

Fatima Alaeddine completed her Bachelor of Nursing at Laurentian University and then did a Master's in Health Care Quality Improvement. She worked in the emergency department as a front line nurse, followed by a role as Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator where she managed and coordinated medical research with doctors. She is now a Nurse Officer in Charge at a mental health hospital. Her love for learning about Islam has led her to creating an Instagram page called @ShiaResources where she shares books, scholars, charities, social media pages, YouTube channels, businesses, and more. The goal of this instagram page is to help the community easily find resources and educate themselves about Shia Islam. In her free time, Fatima loves spending time with family, being active in the community, and going for hikes and walks in nature.

Having grown up with an affinity for science-fiction and a curiosity about all things that move, Manal Makki pursued a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in Biomedical Research investigating cryopreservation with cancer cells. In parallel, she gained co-op experience in 3D Printing and engineering plastics. After graduation, Manal has worked for a few years in the automotive industry, designing the interiors of cars. This includes supporting their development from the digital phase, using 3D drawings, and traveling to manufacturing plants to support the physical phase right on the assembly line. Manal is deeply interested in design inspired by nature and innovation that is harmonious with the world around us.

Mateen Manek is a filmmaker and writer based in Toronto. He studied communications at York University, and holds a certificate in teaching ESL. In his past, he has taught ESL, written poetry, and made short films for YouTube. In 2019, Mateen founded The Curious Society, a video production company. His work is very story-focused and intentional, and strives to create authentic and impactful films. He is passionate about capturing stories with themes of creativity, being human, and love (the latter through his wedding films). Outside of work, Mateen loves movies, coffee, and writing. Mainly the coffee, though.

Zeinab Zreik's love for teaching has been embedded within her since she was a little girl in Elementary School. She attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn and became a teacher, and currently works at Great Revelations Academy (GRA). Working with kids has always been something Zeinab wanted to do, and she is grateful for the opportunity to be able to shape the little minds that will become our future. She appreciates that she is able to combine her love for teaching and creativity in an Islamic school such as GRA, where the foundation of all subjects begins with Allah. This is Zeinab's 6th year as a leader with Al-Mustapha Girl Scouts, and she is honored to be a part of such an organization that allows her to be a part of building their courage, confidence, and character as Girl Scouts, and serve a role model to these little girls in an Islamic environment. Zeinab's imagination as a young girl was always super wild, so she began creating and started baking at 15 years old, and has been creating ever since.

Dr. Hossein Jarrahi is an Associate Professor of Information Science at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He completed his undergraduate studies in Public Administration in Iran, where he worked in web development as a side passion. Aiming to combine public administration with web development, he pursued the field of information systems at the London School of Economics. At UNC Chapel Hill, Dr. Jarrahi researches and teaches about the role of information technology in organizational contexts. Dr. Jarrahi's research also examines the adoption of artificial intelligence in shaping and managing knowledge-based work practices.

Dr. Kirmani is an enthusiastic technologist, researcher, and public Speaker, and has a diverse professional background working with Fortune 500 firms, in sectors as diverse as Finance, Pharmaceuticals, and Consulting, most recently working as a Data Scientist in the Defense & Space sector. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Dr. Kirmani received his Bachelors's Degree in Economics, Math & Computer Science from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2012, then completed his Master's in Engineering from UCF in 2015. He is active in the community, having served on multiple management committees, as well as teaching & mentoring at various institutes. He is a co-founder of the Ahlul-Bayt Society at UCF, and served as President and Vice President of the Society. He has traveled throughout the U.S. & U.K. as a lecturer for the past 11 years. Dr. Kirmani has a Ph.D. in Engineering from UCF.

Hussain Ali Naqvi is a third-year student at the University of Waterloo, with experience in working with the Government of Canada at various levels of the healthcare system as an analyst. He is an aspiring physician with publications on dementia, telemedicine, and the integrative healthcare system in Ontario, Canada. He's worked for the Canadian provincial government and the federal government in health policy analysis, health research, health data and system-level decision making. Hussain also operates in healthcare innovation, where he works with a team of medical experts, students, and researchers in designing new 3D medical technologies, and clinical decision software through data science and machine learning. Hussain's next step is medical school, where he seeks to enhance his medical specialization and implement further innovation into healthcare technology operations.

Bushra Tahan studied Chemical Engineering and did 2 years of cooperative education (co-op) programs before graduation. She worked for 8 months in the cosmetic manufacturing industry and 4 months in a water treatment plant. She then spent 1 year in a vaccine manufacturing company. She currently is an Engineer-in-Training at Sanofi Pasteur, where she works with Preventative Maintenace Technical Services.

Ana Ali is a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education, with a minor in Politics. Ana is an executive team member of both the Islamic Masumeen Center of New England and Taha Collective, two non-profit Shi'a organizations based in the Boston area. She has spent the last 5 years working with MOVE, an organization that seeks to empower young women to create social change through the development of self confidence and leadership skills. Ana is currently applying to law school to pursue her career interests, which include immigration rights/policy, women's rights, and overall promoting diversity and inclusion through the advocacy of marginalized groups.

Fatimah Bazzi holds an MBA from Lawrence Technological University and has a TESL certificate. She is passionate about teaching and educating young Muslim children about the beauty of the religion of Islam, especially through the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). For this reason, Fatimah writes children's Islamic books. She has published "Muharram Nights" and "Mila Wears the Hijab". She is excited to see that her books are aligned with her purpose, and children love and continue to benefit from them. Fatimah is a mother to two wonderful kids, Tia and Ali.

Sabah Hashmi is the founder of Sabah's Corner, a blog that strives to support the rapidly growing number of fellow Muslim parents navigating parenthood in the west. Born and raised in Canada herself, with a masters degree, she turned to blogging to address this gap once she herself became a mother. In her blog, you will find a curated list of easily digestible topics that are thoughtful and well researched; often including references to hadith (prophetic traditions), evidence-based science and even some fun humour! She covers a vast range of topics, including pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, language, religion, and spirituality. The blog is also home to many practical resources, tools and product deals designed to make things just a little easier for western-Muslim parents. To subscribe to Sabah's Corner and receive exclusive offers, click here (www.sabahscorner.com) or follow the blog on Facebook @sabahcorner. Sabah's Corner Website: www.sabahscorner.com Facebook Group: Muslim Motherhood in the West https://www.facebook.com/groups/muslimmotherhoodinthewest

0:00 Introduction 1:50 Education and career background 02:55 What is a digital content writer? 03:40 What is your message to our youth? 05:40 How do you deal with writers' block? 06:30 Fitness journey 09:05 Advice for youth going through mental health struggles? 10:00 NYC Marathon experience amid COVID-19 12:24 Dealing with loss during COVID-19 18:10 How do you prepare and train for a marathon? 19:23 Running for charity 22:00 Advice you wish you'd known when younger 24:30 Advice on how to cope with struggles 28:10 Spirituality of new moms Huda A. Jaffer is the digital content writer for the Imam Mahdi Association of Marajea, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide religious education for Muslim Americans. Huda holds a degree in English and Middle Eastern Studies from the City University of New York- Hunter and has attained formal religious education in the seminary of Karbala, Iraq. Over the last decade, Huda has discovered a passion for exercise and has sought to break the barriers and stigma around women who wear the hijab in fitness. She has pushed herself to be the best athlete version of herself while training with some of America's toughest trainers. Over the last several years, she found a love for running which led her to complete two New York City Marathons, and she plans on running more marathons across the world. Most importantly, Huda is a mother to her two daughters and desires to teach them the value of having confidence in their faith and pushes them to be the best version of themselves.

Born and raised in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Ahmed completed secondary and advanced level education at Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School. He moved to Edmonton, Canada to pursue further education. He graduated with Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BscN) and has been working for Covenant Health for more than 15 years, areas of specialty have been general internal medicine and emergency nursing. With his spouse, he co-founded LIFESAVER YEG LTD in 2016, and has been providing CPR and First Aid Training services in Edmonton. Ahmed was involved with serving the community in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania. He has also been involved in serving the Edmonton Jamaat at different leadership levels from being a program organiser to the president of the jamaat. 0:00 Introduction 02:28 Tell us about yourself 05:10 Why nursing? 08:10 Training process for nursing 10:28 What specialty do you practice in? 13:00 Starting your business 16:28 Advice on starting a business 18:25 Your service to the Shi'a community 24:40 Juggling your roles 28:30 Avoiding burnout, especially during COVID 32:10 Final piece of advice

Mariam Dahoui Charara is the author of the upcoming book series, 'To Enter His Gardens', a Figs and Olives Publications product. She received a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Master's degree in Teaching, with specialties in English and Speech. She is a wife and mother of two children.

Qaim Naqvi, a Chicago native, is a University of Illinois graduate in Natural Sciences and Environmental Science. He has worked in a variety of different areas of environmental conservation, from ecological research to community outreach to trail work in some of the most remote areas of the U.S. One of his long-term goals is to bring greater environmental consciousness into the Muslim community.

Hanna was born in Toronto and has been living there ever since. She graduated from University in 2019 with her BA and then received an immigration consultant certificate in November 2020. In May 2021, she passed her licensing exam and is awaiting issuance of her official Immigration Consulting license. Hanna has been working at legal immigration offices since 2016 and has grown to love her job even more every year! For her, the best part is being able to reunite families and impact people's lives positively. In a profession where many professionals provide poor advice or focus on making a profit, she is especially determined to prevent this type of misconduct and assist those who have been taken advantage of. In addition to her professional duties, Hanna's hobbies include painting and art, and she enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking and hiking. She currently lives with her husband Ahmad and cat Sophie in Woodbridge.

Al Huda Youth's main initiatives are to provide an in-depth understanding of the main Islamic pillars, providing youth with tools needed to navigate Western society while maintaining Islamic values, and to host leisure events for youth to destress and form bonds within the Muslim community. Al Huda offers a combination of activities, such as lectures, workshops, social, and sport-related events. The latest projects include a bi-monthly de-stressor events, and Fireside Chat series.

Azwar Khalid is CEO of 247 Labs and co-founder of the online Alkutab Islamic School. He is a father, husband, software architect and entrepreneur with passion for understanding deep meanings behind the teachings of our religion and seeks to understand how one can model a happy life-style through the guidance of the Ahlul Bayt (A.S.)

Faraj Mental Health is a non-profit community organization founded in January of 2021. Faraj's main goal is to increase mental health literacy within the Muslim community, provide support and resources to community members, and create a safe space for events that discuss important, taboo, and nuanced topics or issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing within the Muslim community. Faraj uses an intersectional and multidisciplinary approach to its content and resources in order to cater to the diversity and complexity of individuals making up the community, as holistically as possible. Faraj also collaborates with other community organizations, groups, speakers, and representatives in order to help make a greater difference in the lives of people from all walks of life. Faraj's core value is empathy. Faraj is currently hiring volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering as a team member, please reach out at farajmentalhealth@gmail.com for details on available positions.

Amin is a senior Public Health Sciences major at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is also minoring in Global Poverty. He is multicultural and appreciates cosmopolitanism. He hopes to be able to put any hard and soft skills he acquires to use in serving humanity, and elevating the standard of living and quality of life for people. He also aspires to be a health practitioner.

Hidaya Nawee is a speaker, writer, and activist whose work predominantly focuses on issues of race, gender, religion, and disability advocacy with the overarching theme of God-centered social justice. She views activism as any action that one can do consistently in order to better oneself, one's community, and one's relationship with Allah (SWT). After spending two years pursuing premedical studies at Montgomery College, Hidaya decided that she no longer wanted to pursue medicine and became a pharmacy technician. Now, she is an aspiring attorney and is working through the transfer process to finish her undergraduate degree.

After spending the first 13 years of his life in Mombasa, Kenya, Nabil and his family migrated to Canada in search of a better life and a better education for my siblings and him. Shortly after, he completed his High School Diploma and soon after that, a Bachelor's degree in Marketing at York University. In the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020, Nabil launched The Print Company, a full service print brokerage with his two business partners. A few months later, still during the pandemic, he launched The Unmasked Podcast, a podcast aimed at uncovering the stories of successful people and making them relatable to ambitious young individuals. Having recently graduated, he is currently travelling across East Africa, working on launching his next venture. The purpose is to use technology from the developed world and use it for social benefit in developing countries. His ultimate goal is to be able to provide equal access to basic needs such as education, healthcare and shelter for everyone across the globe.

Kamilah is currently pursuing a Masters of Information in Human Centred Data Science at the University of Toronto. She graduated as a valedictorian with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Waterloo in 2019. Kamilah is a 2020-21 Graduate Fellow at the University of Toronto Centre for Ethics focusing on the intersection between race, economics and data monopolies in Canada. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she held roles at the United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), as well as the Canadian federal government.

Fatima is a Toronto-based graphic designer who has been working in the industry for over 6 years. She has worked in-house and remotely for various clients and agencies, designing brand identities and online experiences. In 2019, she made the decision to pursue her own path as a full-time freelancer and has been doing it ever since.

Ambreen is a financial and tax consultant, and insurance professional with over 20 years experience. She graduated with a degree in accounting and finance, and also received life and health insurance licenses. After working with various companies throughout North America, Ambreen started her own consulting firm where she provides financial solutions to her clients. These include tax and accounting services, wills and trusts, retirement planning and insurance services. Her goal at LifeWealth Consultants is to educate and empower their clients so they can make informed financial decisions for their families.

Sayeda Akbar is very passionate about active healthy lifestyles and fitness. She has been playing soccer year round since childhood, and enjoyed sports like flag football and cross country in her high school years. Sayeda then found a strong passion for high intensity interval training (HIIT), strength and weight training. At the age of 18, she decided to complete a Certified Personal Training program and has been a Personal Trainer for almost three years. She has a passion to help individuals reach their full fitness potential. While our physical health is important, Sayeda is also a strong advocate of mental health and the importance of taking care of our “mind body and soul”. She is pursuing various opportunities that have allowed her to use personal experiences with mental health and fitness to educate young adults about the value of mental and physical self-care.

Mariam Jammal - Business Immigration Lawyer (June 19, 2021) by Umoja Outreach

Fatima Ali is a rising senior studying Computer Science and researching in Human-Computer Interaction and Health Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. Currently, Fatima is at Twitter, interning as a software engineer and building dashboards for the Twitter API. At her previous position at Apple, she built features for a Machine Learning platform, and before that, at Google, she created a web app to support a nonprofit that has delivered 20 million pounds of extra farm produce to food banks. As an advocate for inclusion in the tech industry, she has organized professional development workshops for various groups, including early-career women at Muslim Women in Tech, interns and new graduates at Minterns, and incoming students at UC Irvine's Muslim Student Union. Outside of work, she loves to paint, edit photos of her hiking trips, and soak in the golden hour sunshine. Fatima grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she most cherishes the Northern California redwood forests. ______ Haana Janmohamed is a rising senior studying Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Haana loves anything to do with computer science, statistics, healthcare, and teaching. She has worked as an academic coach, a research assistant, and is a returning software engineer intern at Facebook this summer. In the fall, Haana will work as a mentor to incoming CS students under her university's computer science department and will also be serving as Co-President for UT Austin's Ahlul Bayt Student Organization. In her free time, Haana loves to read books, write on her blog (http://aninspiredtechie.blogspot.com), spend time with friends & family, and work on her brush pen calligraphy.

Omaima Saad is an Early Childhood Education student with 7 years of experience in the field. She is currently in her last year, soon to graduate and continue on with her Bachelor of Child Development degree program. Omaima has worked with children of all ages, from infants to school-agers. She has a love for the field and is very passionate with her work. During her 7 years of experience working in pre-schools, child-cares, kindergarten classes and currently, virtually with the YMCA, Omaima has effectively and competently presented her knowledge and teaching. A few of Omaima's key roles as an Early Childhood Education student is to plan activities and design learning environments that benefit the child's developmental stages. She also promotes and encourages learning through play in order to provide young children with everything they need to boost their physical, mental, and emotional development. Through her work, Omaima strives to make a difference in her students.

Imaad Remtula is studying to become a mechatronics engineer. As is the case with nearly every University of Waterloo program, Imaad is enrolled in a Coop, where he works for a different company every 4 months to gain experience in the field. On the side, he runs a custom luxury handmade furniture business which has been both his hobby and passion for nearly 4 years. Imaad lives in Toronto.

Muslim Youth in Motion is a non-profit organization that was established in 2012 by a few youth members in the community. MYM has grown a lot and today it stands serving and helping youth from all different cultures and backgrounds. Our goal is to serve the ahlulbayt (as) and help the community grow, and flourish in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver. We hold weekly programs for families and the youth, programs include activities, lectures, or many other various and different type of programs. MYM is also known for leading great events, such as Eid Al-Ghadeer and Muharram. We hope to make a positive impact and effect in the community and help in bettering the world and as well as the society.

Abir Safa is a Detroit-raised poet of nine years. She began performing her work in 2012 at various events and centers across the U.S., U.K. & Africa. Her work aims to ignite the flame in the hearts of the lovers of the Ahlulbayt (a.s.). In recent years, she has extended her work to contemporary issues relevant to all people of all faiths, beliefs, and backgrounds.

Fatima Hussain is a third year psychology student at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She also studied abroad in the UK, taking courses in political science. She is involved in suicide prevention research and is working on a thesis researching mental health attitudes and knowledge in the Muslim community. Fatima volunteers for the Crisis Textline and the Mental Health Association of Central Florida. She serves as the engagement chair for the Longest Day committee of the Alzheimer's Association local chapter. In the past, Fatima volunteered at a food pantry, homeless shelter, and hospital. At UCF, she works with the Refugee and Immigrant Education Initiative, the Pediatric Association of Caring Knights, Period @ UCF, and Honors Congress. She is also a virtual assistant to a Muslim psychologist. In the future, she hopes to attend a PhD program in Clinical Psychology to become a psychologist in a hospital and also conduct research.

Kumail Raza is a junior at New York University (NYU) studying Finance and Data Science. At NYU, Kumail is the first Shi'a President of the Muslim Students Association, one of the largest in the country. He is also involved with some of the business-related clubs on campus, including The Finance Society. Kumail plans on entering investment banking after graduation, and is passionate about bridging the financial literacy gap within the Shi'a community in North America, as well as building well-rounded communities that promote the banner of Shi'ism in religious, intellectual, and professional dimensions. In his free time, Kumail enjoys biking, hanging out with friends, and spending time with his family.

Shia Racial Justice Coalition began in response to the discussions regarding racism and anti-blackness in the Muslim world. We are a group of volunteers dedicated to reassessing our communities and where they stand on race. We aim to provide a variety of resources to help communities understand racial injustice and its history as well as ways to participate in movements. SRJC's goal is also to always uplift Black Shia voices and build a wholly anti-racist coalition.

Zeinab Shdid is passionate about art and started drawing when she was very young. She honed her talent and majored in Fine Arts in Lebanon, where she received a Bachelor's Degree. She does not understand the negativity surrounding these types of majors for many reasons, as to her, painting is more than a major. It is about expressing oneself using the bright colors from her palette of love. Sahara Mehdi is a 19-year-old journalism student in her second year at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario. She fell in love with poetry five years ago and hasn't stopped writing since. Sahara has been creating videos and other content under the alias “Miss Brainy” on YouTube since she was 15 years old. For more of her writing, you can find her @missbrainywrites on Instagram or @missbrainyblog.

Laila is a senior at Harvard University studying History of Science and Near Eastern Studies. She is passionate about working with young people to learn about religion and cultivating (and practicing) God-centered love in everything with them. Check out @marifaprograms to find out more about this. Laila finds inspiration from poetry, Shi'a Islam, and all the wonderful people she is very blessed and grateful to be surrounded by.

Insiya Aziz is a second year law student at the University of Texas School of Law. In her time as a law student, she has been involved with many pro bono projects, focusing on criminal justice, special education, and immigration. She also is also a board member at the American Muslim Bar Association, where she is involved in legal advocacy and policy work surrounding issues affecting Shia Muslims, both domestically and abroad. At present, she is working with the Southern Center for Human Rights in Georgia and the Council on American Islamic Relations in their Civil Rights department. At the law school, she is on the editorial board for the Texas Law Review and a competitor on the Jessup International Moot Court team.

Fatima Zaidi has become a globally recognized voice due to her contributions within Muslim communities as a public speaker. After speaking in Chicago's annual Ashura procession for nearly five years, she was granted the opportunity to raise her voice on Islamic World issues at the White House for the Al Baqee Organization in 2019. Aside from her religious achievements, Zaidi is currently a senior at DePaul University where she is studying journalism and broadcasting, using her platforms to advocate for any and all humanitarian rights issues. She's currently working in Chicago and writing for Pinnacle award-winning magazine 14East, Reclamation Magazine, and Brown Girl Magazine.

Who is Hussain's vision is a society inspired by Hussain. Leading with the values Hussain stood for, those of compassion, justice and dignity, our purpose is to build compassionate communities inspired by the moral values of Hussain. We achieve this through meaningful local actions and initiatives, coupled with informative content. Who is Hussain is a global movement that services individuals of all backgrounds and welcomes volunteers who are passionate to create meaningful change. Who is Hussain operates in numerous countries in every continent across the globe, and are made up of individuals from many cultures, speaking numerous languages and subscribing to many religions. From organising blood drives, to feeding the homeless, to building homes, to environmental initiatives and so much more - we have sought to make a stand for positive change, locally and globally inspired by the timeless example of Hussain.

Aria Bashir is the founder and designer of Zaria Boutique, an up and coming modest fashion brand that is ethically produced in Canada by Aria and her talented mother, Zakia Bashir. As a new hijabi, and even before putting on the hijab, she always has the access to having her apparel tailored and customized to satisfy her modesty requirements by her mother and really wanted to provide that solution to other women who value modesty, both hijabi and non-hijabi. Aria has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and French and completed her post grad in Human Resources. She now works full time at KPMG in Human Resources and juggles running a household and a business all at the same time! Aria is super passionate about supporting and empowering fellow muslimah who aspire to join the business realm.

Mohammad Ali Naqvi is a Certified Flight Instructor, based out of Los Angeles, CA. Mohammad Ali started flying at 18, and is currently building flight hours in order to become an airline pilot. He's currently a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, majoring in Aeronautics. Mohammad Ali would like to use flying as a means to bring nonstop flights to Najaf and Karbala, to make ziyarat more accessible to Shias in the United States.

Zaynab received her Bachelors in Civil engineering in 2019. She started her first engineering job in September 2020, amidst the pandemic, and it was not easy. As a 5'2, visibly Muslim female, she has to prove herself every day on the construction field. But every little success tastes sweeter knowing that she is a rare case paving the way for future generations. Salmaan Bhimji is a Mechanical Engineering student at Penn State University. He graduated from Parkland High School in the Spring 2020. He has many passions, including traveling, hiking, and soccer. He is always looking for ways to improve and educate himself through self-teaching and goal-setting. Three things are currently on his radar: starting his own business, finding a way to help the global community with his profession, and getting his private pilot's license!

Hood is a full-time bioengineering PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology. Apart from her love for science and curiosity to learn, the shockingly less number of hijab-wearing faces in Indian academia has further pushed her to continue in this field. Among the many personal and social goals she expects to achieve at the end of this journey are to (1) develop her critical thinking skills and help others in developing their own - something she feels is essential for the growth and empowerment of our community in India, and (2) contribute to the improvement of healthcare and bridge the gap between science and society. As an illustrator, she hopes to fight back against the constant cyber negativity directed towards the Imam of our time. Therefore, her art is a combination of cupcakes and rainbows, spreading awareness and activism.

Join us for a new outreach show, Community Voice! With so many successful and inspiring youth movements and leaders around us, we will be learning about their stories, struggles, and ideas to reimagine our own daily lives and goals. Ma'rifa is a national organization committed to the spiritual and intellectual growth of Shi'i students. By curating resources, crafting content, and building a community network, we provide students with a framework for critical leadership, grounded in culturally relevant, Islamic perspectives. Our goal is to invest in and enrich the Shi'i student journey in order to discover our individual and collective ma'rifa.

Hoda Gharib is a fourth year Ph.D. student in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto (St. George). She conducts research that asks the question: what motivates people to engage in social justice behaviour and activism? She received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Health Studies and Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Health Promotion from Queen's University. Aside from her interest in health and social justice behavior, Hoda is especially curious about how the media shapes our emotions, beliefs, and behaviors, and is passionate about giving children and adults the skills and abilities to critically judge the advertisements and movies they view, the news that they read, and the social media posts that they spend so much time scrolling through. She is working towards being able to conduct research and teach at the university and community levels. Outside the academic world, Hoda loves to hang out at the waterfront with loved ones, play sports, practice Islamic art, and write about her reflections.