AAI Foundation

Foundation

Past Abbott Award Recipients

Posted on Monday May 11, 2009

2008 Awards Recipients

James Anaissie

James Anaissie is a senior at Little Rock Central High School. He will be attending Duke University next year as a student in its biomedical engineering program. He spends his summers as a counselor at a summer camp for children with all types of disabilities, including chronic and terminal illness. Additionally, he is a soccer coach for disabled students and volunteers in the kitchen of a homeless shelter.

Sonja Darwish

Sonja Darwish is a senior at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, CA. She turned a community service requirement for her school into an opportunity to reach out to a rural village in Egypt with insufficient medical care. She requested medication donations from a local hospital in Sacramento, and then distributed the medication in the village. Sonja worked to raise awareness about the causes and preventative measures of trachoma in the village. She has continued her “Healthy Eyes Project” for three years, bringing over 1,000 ointment tubes to the villagers.

Mena Hanna

Mena Hanna is a senior at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, NY. He will be attending Albany College of pharmacy next year. His goal is to conduct medical research to help underprivileged families who cannot find doctors, afford medicine, or find the right type of treatment. He volunteers with a program at his church which invites homeless individuals to have meals and share stories and talents. This experience has taught him that all types of individuals just need someone to care for them.

Deanna Madanat

Deanna Madanat is a senior at San Francisco State University studying Special Education and Psychology. She is dedicated to working with children and families with disabilities, not only in the United States but also in the Arab world. She will spend the year after graduation studying Arabic in Jordan and Lebanon before going back to school to get her masters in Special Education. Deanna has worked at Support for Families and Children with disabilities as both a caregiver and as a volunteer assistant for Special Family Events. She plans on continuing this work as a professional in both the US and the Middle East.

2007 Awards Recipients

Rohima Ahmad

Rohima Ahmad and her family visit Egypt each year and spend time in the hospitals of the less developed areas of the country. These visits have led her to pursue a life in the medical world. During her high school years, Rohima volunteered at the Arab American Association helping recent immigrants adjust to their new homes. She hopes to remain in New York to give back to the community by working in clinics and hospitals throughout underrepresented areas.

Dania Ayoubi

Dania Ayoubi graduated from Georgetown University Magna Cum Laude in May 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Arabic Language, Literature and Linguistics. She also received a Certificate in Islam and Muslim-Christian Understanding. Dania spent much time as an undergraduate contributing to various Muslim organizations in the region and on campus, and tutoring elementary and high schools students. She will attend Georgetown Law Center in the fall of 2007.

Ramy Zayed

Ramy Zayed’s early passion for science pushed him to pursue a career in medicine. His dedication to both academics and community service are evident in his impact on his community. During his high school years Ramy developed and coached a youth basketball team. He was a member of the Boys and Girls Club and volunteers regularly for the Muslim Community Center. Ramy is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in bioengineering at Wichita State University.

2006 Awards Recipients

Kristen Moussalli

Kristen Moussalli from Northeastern University received a $1,000 individual award. Kristin helped raise over $7,000 for breast cancer research and organized a drive to benefit pediatric aids. Kristin also participated in Jumpstart, a program of AmeriCorps, where she tutored children in reading and literarcy and worked to create a curriculum for them. Through studying political science, she hopes to affect policy and promote understanding.

Margaux Faris-Merkert

Margaux Faris-Merkert worked with Women for Women International to raise awarenss about and collect support funds for an Afghan teenager named Nadia and her family. Margaux has raised close to $5,000 for the project allowing Nadia to attend the university in Kabul. Working with Nadia has encouraged Marguax to study International Relations in college. She hopes to stregthen her knowledge and understanding about cultures that are different from her own. She received a $500 individual award.

Amira Mouna

Amira Mouna, a graduating senior from Greenbrier High School in Georgia, received a $500 individual award. She is being awarded for the hours she has dedicated in volunteering for the Red Cross Youth Board, YMCA Camp, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, and Gracewood Hospital. In addition to her volunteerism, she has demostrated strong academic achievements with a 4.0 GPA.

Nadine Kaskas

Nadine Kaskas also received a $500 award. She volunteered for the American Cancer Society, the VA Hospital in Pharmacy and Human Resources, served as chairman of the Youth Relay for Life Committee, and helped organize care packets for Hurricane Katrina victims. She plans to attend medical school and continue her dedication to service.

2005 Awards Recipients

Tanya A. Haj-Hassan

Through health policy and public service Tanya has devoted her academic life to studying ways by which she could alleviate the suffering of misplaced persons in the Middle East. Tanya hopes to one day become an international leader and to provide emergency aid, healthcare, education and other services to the underprivileged. Tanya has proven to embody the aspirations of Helen Abbott, making her an ideal candidate for this award. Tanya A. Haj-Hassan is currently majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in International Health and Development and Middle Eastern Studies at Stanford University. Her record of public service both within the United States and abroad includes working as an intern at the Arab Medical Center in Amman, Jordan, as the National Director of the AIDS Treatment Access Initiative, and as a volunteer at Camps in Tanzania, Stanford Hospital, and Amman.

Altaf Saadi

Altaf is an ideal candidate for the Helen Abbott award because she has dedicated her life to the service of others. In her own words Altaf says, “I don’t know what to be if not a community activist, and I don’t know what to work for if not the things that I passionately believe in.” Altaf Saadi is a pre-med student at Yale University. Her work experiences include being a Research Assistant for the Middle East Studies Council. She is an accomplished writer and has been published in various Yale University Journals. She currently serves as the Managing Editor of The Yale Journal of Human Rights and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Northwood Howler in high school. Altaf has received a number of academic and leadership awards and is also an accomplished volunteer. She has volunteered both in the U.S. and abroad for ESL programs for recent immigrants, Habitat for Humanity, and a other non-profit organizations.

Vanessa Saba

Vanessa’s commitment and determination to positively impacting her community is evident through her multitude of academic, service and personal accomplishments. Her desire to seek a career in graphic design and to motivate people by promoting public awareness of responsible consumption and decision-making sets her apart from her peers. It is that desire to contribute to her community, manifested through various remarkable ways, that makes her an excellent recipient of this award. Vanessa Saba is ranked first in her class at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School. She is a gifted both academically and artistically, a fact that is reflected through her various awards and accomplishments. She is the founder and director of Old School Café, a drug and alcohol-free youth center, and “Meeting of the Minds,”a volunteer, after-school homework helper program that offers free academic assistance to fellow students. Vanessa is also a member of the New York State Youth Leadership and Service Council, a governor-appointed council that strives for statewide communication, leadership and action planning.

2004 Awards Recipients

Rana Fakih

Rana was an excellent example of the ideals of Helen Abbott for her willingness to sacrifice valuable time and energy to the education and care of children. Rana Fakih, a mother of two, demonstrated that one should continue to have an open mind and have a constant drive to learn throughout one’s life. Rana identified herself, firstly, as a mother, a role that she described as the most important and influential jobs one can have. She devoted herself to her children by taking parenting classes specifically for mothers and by seeking a professional degree that could help her to learn about child development and cognitive processes- she was enrolled at the University of Michigan working toward a B.S. in Psychology. Rana devoted herself not only to her children but also to others through her work as an Arabic private tutor and Americorp volunteer. She also worked at The Ajyal School in Beirut, Lebanon as a theater instructor. In the United States, Rana became certified as an American Cross First Aid, Parenting Trainer, day care assistant and first aid responder.

Michel Riyád Nabti

Michel Riyád devoted his educational life to the study of organization/human relations and to a strong desire to contribute to his local community by way of healthcare, cultural understanding, and organizational development. His passion to promote and improve cultural relations by way of education, travel and personal contribution proved that he was a reflection of Helen Abbott’s life and philosophy. Michel Riyád received his BA in Political Science from The University of California- Santa Barbara. Michel was awarded a Research Assistantship to study organizational behavior at the Graduate School of business at Stanford University. Michel boated membership to various professional associations, including the Association for Conflict Resolution, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Khalid Abdul Raheem

Khalid’s desire to become a medical doctor and to embark upon a lifelong journey of service to the world’s sick and poor is what set him apart from other youth leaders. Not only did he aspire to help people by becoming a doctor, he also demonstrated an ambitious hope to improve the medical field by researching diseases and ways by which they can be one day be cured. Khalid’s impressive resume could only be matched by his insatiable desire to improve the quality of worldwide healthcare. This desire to help all societies through such a significant contribution of time and research made him a perfect embodiment of Helen Abbott’s own goals. Khalid Abdul Raheem received education all over the world, including Marquette University High School, St. Jude Apostle School, and the American School of Kuwait. He has served in various capacities as a student leader and mentor.

2003 Awards Recipients

Amal Harb

Founder and Director for Yullah.com, Amal has played a major role in developing national organization resources for the Arab American community. Her educational experiences along with her extra-curricular activities clearly cast her as a well-rounded and excelling recipient of the Helen Abbott Award. Amal has served as a board member for the Organization of Middle Eastern Women, the Organization of Arab Students, and the Palestinian Student Association at the University at Buffalo, NY. Amal has proven to be a major asset for these organizations. She recognizes the need for cohesiveness in the Arab American community through making resources and services available, and she is determined to make a contribution.

2002 Awards Recipients

Rima Abdelkader

Rima Abdelkader established herself as a qualified recipient of this award through her lifetime commitment to the service of others. She, like Helen Abbott, looked at the less fortunate in her community and saw a way by which she could contribute to, instead of a critique, society. Rima, an advocate of diligence and respectfulness, claimed that her inspiration derived from the ideal that no good results from inactivity. Perhaps the most notable of her achievements was her service as the key speaker for the Interact Club, an international organization of service and social clubs for youth. She dedicated well over one hundred hours to volunteering during her high school career. Rima has received awards for her demonstrated excellence in various academic fields.

The Network of Arab American Alumni and Professionals (NAAP)

The NAAP’s contributions to society demonstrated that the organization was a worthy recipient of the Helen Abbott Community Service Award in that the organization promoted cooperation, understanding, morality, opportunity and democracy. The Network of Arab American Alumni and Professionals was founded through an effort to support the Arab Student Associations (ASA) and to establish a channel by which alumni and professionals could increase their activism and strengthen their voice as a unified entity. The NAAP served the community by promoting student activism, providing professional networking opportunities, coordinating political action on national and local levels, promoting Arab heritage through cultural events, and engaging in community outreach to educate the American public about contemporary Arab/ Arab- American issues and culture. The NAAP manifested its goals through various means, including: by increasing the visibility of Arab-American voters on the national and state levels, by increasing lobbying efforts in Washington DC on a professional level, by opening an Arabic school in the area that promoted education of the Arabic language and offered Arabic music classes to children, by providing members with interaction opportunities through the networking involved in retreats and social gatherings, and by funding the travel expenses of NAAP members who volunteer on political campaigns of Arab American candidates.

Laura Wallman

Laura Wallman’s goals and ideals were a clear reflection of the morality and integrity of the mission of The Helen Abbott Community Service Award. Like Helen Abbott, Laura hoped to improve the lives of others through her own diligence and sacrifice. She aspired to one day have a career devoted to working towards social justice. Through her work at Juvenile Hall and as a tutor, Laura demonstrated her ability to contribute to and improve her own community. Laura Wallman, a Community and Legal Studies double major at the University of California Santa Cruz, applied for the Helen Abbott Community Service Award so she could travel to Beirut, Lebanon in order to work for a non-profit organization involving youth, human rights and conflict resolution. Laura was an involved volunteer in her local community and demonstrated proficiency in both Arabic and French. Her desire to have a positive impact on society at an international scale proved that she was an exceptional candidate to receive this award.

2001 Awards Recipients

Thomas Jacobs

Thomas applied for the Helen Abbott grant in order to continue his selfless record of contributing to his community. Thomas was particularly interested in helping inspire local children from lower socio-economic classes, and emphasizing the horrific impact of racism and hatred to them. Thomas revealed in his application that he even took a year off before beginning college in order to serve his community through his participation in Americorps. He applied for the award with an impressively diverse selection of talents, interests, and qualifications. He was officially certified by the American Red Cross in five areas of Disaster Relief and served as a leader on the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Additionally, Thomas studied in Madrid, Spain at the American School of Madrid and spoke fluent Spanish. While his academic success was quite remarkable, it was his dedication to and concern for the well being of his community that made Thomas Jacobs a deserving recipient of the Helen Abbott Community Service Award.

Jennifer Ibrahim

Jennifer Ibrahim’s dedication to underprivileged children and to the child victims of conflict in Lebanon and Palestine proved that her ideals and priorities seemed to embody the mission of Helen Abbott. In her application, Jennifer demonstrated that she understood from personal experience, having lived in Beirut for five years, what atrocities can result from religious, governmental and cultural conflicts in the area. Compelled to act by what she experienced, Jennifer worked with children in a refugee camp with The American Community School at Beirut for four years. She participated in an environmental cleanup of the shoreline, served as an English as a Second Language teacher for disabled children, participated in and organized guest speakers for the First Israeli State Terrorism (FIST) interest group and was a Mentor for Palestinian Refugee Children at the “Beit Atfal Assamoud”. Jennifer Ibrahim received an International Studies degree from Marymount Manhattan College and an International Baccalaureate Diploma from the American Community School at Beirut, Lebanon.

The Arab Student Association of The George Washington University

The Arab Student Association of the George Washington University was also a qualified recipient of the Helen Abbott Community Service Award because it was working to better the lives of both Arab and non-Arab students at George Washington by increasing an awareness of the Arab culture on campus. By promoting an educational approach to the dangers of all racism and discrimination, the Arab Student Association of George Washington qualified itself as a vital contributor to the greater cause of higher learning and global cooperation. For example, the primary goals of the Arab Student Association of The George Washington University were to promote education and awareness of crucial issues concerning the Arab-American, Middle Eastern and North African Arab communities. Their main focus, however, was quite appropriately, the promotion of Arab and Arab-American awareness on George Washington’s campus. The organization also wanted to promote relations and cooperation between Arab student associations on a national level. Some of the many ways in which the organization manifested its goals were by: providing quality speakers to the George Washington University concerning interesting issues that were relevant to the Arab American community, and by participating in and organizing rallies and enhancing ways by which the University promoted political and social education. Additionally, the Arab Student Association of George Washington wanted to educate others about Arabic culture by sharing it with the community through music, food, dance and art.