Rocio Villaseñor
Communications Intern - Fall 2019
Rocio Villaseñor is a Communications Intern for Fall 2019. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in May 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Communication and double minor in Political Science and Latin American and Latino Studies. Rocio’s love for writing, researching and learning about different subjects led her to return back to school. She earned her Master’s in Public Affairs Journalism in December 2018 from Columbia College Chicago. She was born and raised in the Southside of Chicago and has interned at previous Chicago-based media publications. She hopes to work as an investigative journalist for a non-profit organization. Rocio joined CAIR-Chicago to improve her writing, speaking and photography skills. In addition, she wanted to learn more about the advocacy done with the Muslim community in the Chicago area. She enjoys reading, writing, watching movies, listening to music, attending concerts and comic con conventions.
Aileen Valenzuela
Operations Intern - Fall 2019
Aileen Valenzuela is an Operations intern for the Fall session of 2019. She is a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago and will be graduating in December with a Bachelor's in English concentrating in Professional Writing and a minor in Sociology. Aileen was born and raised in the Southside of Chicago and has previously worked in Chicago Public Schools and a non-profit that helps first-generation students apply to colleges and graduate. She became interested in CAIR-Chicago because of the values that the organization upholds, in addition to the advocacy that they provide to victims of discrimination. In her free time, Aileen enjoys video games, watching movies, and taking road trips outside of the city.
Sabrina Wilson
Communications & Civil Rights Intern - Fall 2019
Sabrina is a Communications/Civil Rights intern for Fall 2019. She is currently a sophomore at DePaul University, studying International Studies. She eventually hopes to study law to help immigrant/ refugee populations and follow her interests in human and civil rights issues. This is Sabrina’s second time interning with CAIR-Chicago, returning to us so that she can further contribute to and gain experience with the legal underpinnings of civil rights advocacy, immigration, and in serving the Muslim community of the greater Chicago area. Sabrina enjoys drinking tea, loving cats, and jamming to Bollywood music and all the while being a ray of undying sunshine.
Cesia Milian
Communications Intern - Fall 2019
Cesia Milian is a Communications Intern for the Fall 2019 session. She is a third-year student at the University of Illinois at Chicago majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Professional Writing. She is a native of Chicago, hoping to explore more of Chicago’s neighborhoods and attend the Chicago events with friends. Cesia joined CAIR-Chicago to gain experience working in a non-profit organization and maturing her writing skills to another level. Graduating 2020, she hopes to pursue a writing career where she can be active and strive for her best work yet still be able to learn and grow by expanding to other areas and getting more experience. While reading or writing, or both, she loves to listen to music.
Brianna Pursell
Civil Rights Intern - Fall 2019
Brianna Pursell is a Law Clerk in the Civil Rights Department for the fall session of 2019. She graduated from DePaul University College of Law in May 2019 with a focus on civil and human rights issues, a Certificate in International and Comparative Law, and a passion for immigration and asylum work. A former opera singer, Brianna was driven to pursue a career in law after becoming disabled and finding herself both frustrated and motivated to activism by the inequality and inaccessibility she was met with in her new identity. Having, herself, frequently experienced discrimination, lack of understanding, and bigotry, Brianna feels a deep connection to CAIR-Chicago’s mission of advocating for justice, protecting civil rights, and promoting mutual understanding. Ultimately, Brianna would love to play a role in shaping civil and human rights policy through an international human rights organization or intergovernmental body such as the UNHCR or OHCHR. In the meantime, she is thrilled for this opportunity to serve the Chicago and Midwest communities and gain valuable experience in civil rights practice. When Brianna is not at CAIR-Chicago, you will probably find her curled up with her tea and a book, painting, or sailing on Lake Michigan with her fiancé, Clément, and their puppy, Hugo.
Abigail Simmons
Civil Rights Intern - Summer 2019
Abigail Simmons is a Summer Law Clerk for CAIR-Chicago's civil rights division. She earned a History Degree from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and will in the fall will begin her second year at The John Marshall Law School here in Chicago. She is originally from Pennsylvania but now enjoys living in such a big city as Chicago. Abigail originally was not interested in pursuing a career in the Law, but upon taking a Human Rights class for her undergraduate degree she began to see that the best way she could try to make a difference moving forward was through law. She is now hoping to pursue a career in Human Rights, Civil Rights, or Immigration law after she graduates. Abigail's interest in working for CAIR was sparked by their work fighting the Travel Ban. Abigail hopes that through this opportunity working at CAIR-Chicago she will gain invaluable experience working in a area that she feels very passionately about and be able to make a difference. In her free time, Abigail has always been an avid reader and enjoys many different genres but specifically non-fiction, memoir, mystery, suspense, and the classics. She has also been able to cook and bake since she was ten years old and now loves to experiment with new recipes and ingredients and cook for her friends. She is very active and on the weekends enjoys hiking, swimming, and walking around Chicago as a way to take in all the sights of the city.
Elisabeth Phillips
Civil Rights Intern - Summer 2019
Elisabeth is a Civil Rights Intern at CAIR-Chicago. She will begin her senior year at Northwestern University in the fall, studying Political Science, Middle East & North African Studies, and Legal Studies. She is originally from the Chicago suburbs, and would love to stay in the city as long as she can. She hopes to pursue a legal career in immigration, women’s rights, or juvenile criminal law. Elisabeth’s interest in working for CAIR started after interning for an immigration law firm in Chicago, interacting directly with clients who needed proper representation for asylum and DACA cases. Seeing that her work could make such a huge impact on people’s lives inspired her to continue fighting for the rights of underrepresented and marginalized groups in America. In her free time, Elisabeth enjoys playing the violin, which she started learning how to play when she was four years old. She also loves spending time outside with her two dogs, eating at new restaurants with her family, and exploring Chicago with her friends at school.
Rawan Hishmeh
Civil Rights Intern - Summer 2019
Rawan is a Summer 2019 law clerk who just finished her first year of law school at Chicago-Kent College of Law. She earned her undergraduate degrees from UIC in Biological Sciences and Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies. She is passionate about serving the community in Chicago and hopes to work as an advocate for the under-served after she graduates law school. Rawan is equally passionate about coffee and plans to start marathon-training this summer.
Inas Mahmood
Civil Rights Intern - Summer 2019
Inas Mahmood is a returning Law Clerk for the summer session of 2019. She’s a rising 3L at DePaul University College of Law and is passionate about civil rights issues and combating racial and religious discrimination. As a future attorney, she wants to pursue a career in public interest law, specifically immigration/asylum, international human rights, or civil rights. Like many South Asian children, she was initially coaxed into pursuing a pre-med route in undergrad but quickly realized she had no passion (or even a fraction of the required math/science abilities) for the STEM arena. During her time studying abroad in Jordan in her junior year of undergrad, she had an eye-opening and life-changing experience visiting and assisting in several Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps. This lead to an epiphany that drove her fierce zeal and dedication to serve as a voice for the voiceless. Inas decided to join CAIR-Chicago because their mission statement is perfectly aligned with what she wants to accomplish in terms of her personal and professional goals. Confronting perpetrators of discriminatory practices, assisting refugees in dire need of asylum, actively documenting and denouncing hate crimes, and defending the Constitutional rights of aggrieved minorities are just a few of the cases Inas gets to work on at CAIR, and she could not be more enthralled to contribute to this organization. In her free time (which is virtually non-existent because of law school), Inas likes to binge-watch Netflix shows, try new restaurants around Chicago, and sleep as much as humanly possible.
Sahdia Uddin
Operations Intern - Summer 2019
Sahdia is an undergraduate student at University of Illinois at Chicago and majoring in psychology and with a minor in business administration. She previously worked as an intern at the University of Illinois assisting international students with employment. Her passion for fighting for equal rights regardless race and religion has made CAIR Chicago a great fit. In addition, her hobbies include reading, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.
Afreen Mohiuddin
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Afreen Mohiuddin is a Communications intern for the Summer 2019 session. She is a rising senior at the Illinois Institute of Technology, pursuing Business Administration and specializing in Finance, and is also a member of the IIT-Kent BS/JD Honors Law program. She plans to begin law school in Fall of 2020. Afreen admires CAIR’s commitment to ensuring a safe and fair society and their strides in advocacy work for underrepresented groups, and is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the organization and community in a tangible way. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, writing, and meeting new people.
Omar Mosly
Communications/Operations Extern - Summer 2019
Omar is an undergraduate student at York University in Toronto studying information technology. He is originally from Egypt, but is staying in Chicago for the summer. He is an extern for the communications department & the operations department, and wants to become a cloud architect for an IT company. He joined CAIR because he wants to help Muslims facing discrimination and to have a positive impact on their lives. Omar enjoys travelling, reading, but above all learning about and playing with animals.
Nailah Ali
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Nailah Ali is an upcoming senior at Glenbard West High School who hopes to pursue a career that encourages lifelong learning as well as providing constant novel opportunities and experiences. Currently, Nailah is involved in her school newspaper, and has written a few articles that address the scope of academic life and events that affect her and her peers at school. She also enjoys connecting with the youth of her community, as she volunteers as an afterschool tutor at her local elementary school weekly. She communicates with the students in both English and Spanish as she helps them to understand concepts they struggle with, in varying subjects such as Math and Spelling. Aside from associating with the junior voices of her community, Nailah is a part of her library’s Teen Advisory Board as well. Alongside her diverse cast of colleagues, she collaborates on and supervises programs and activities attracting children, teens, as well as adults. Nailah is passionate about connecting with and helping empower minorities by providing the resources needed to succeed, thus resulting in her interest in CAIR. CAIR curates an environment that magnifies Muslim voices that are often misrepresented if not completely quieted in mainstream media. Nailah actively hopes to participate in the organization, as well as improve essential communication skills like public speaking and journalism. In her alone time, Nailah relaxes with miniature clay sculpting, reading, and her favorite app, Duolingo.
Aminah Elaneizi
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Aminah Elaneizi is approaching her senior year at Neuqua Valley High School and is aspiring to have a career that never stops creating opportunity to learn something new. She is set on leading society to a generation that is not afraid of pushing the envelope and having conversations that were not previously adhered to. She is also dedicated to continue furthering her education by attaining a master’s degree in what she decides as she does not limit herself. In her college years, she is looking forward to studying abroad, learning about how the geography of regions forms cultures and barriers. She will not turn down any opportunity to see something new or to do something spontaneously. It is also a goal of hers to become a more polished and confident public speaker, so that she may amplify others voices that were previously quieted. It is also important for her to be a contact for her community as well as having a network of other business professionals to communicate with and refer to. CAIR was a perfect fit as it is a platform that fights bigotry, promotes tolerance, defends civil rights and, does not minimize the voices of Muslims. In her free time she creates graphics, photos and, style into her life. Something that is priceless to her is reading, to travel somewhere through pages in minutes is incomparable. Some of her time is also spent volunteering with Muslim Women’s Alliance and extends her help every year to host Eid parties for refugees every year alongside other valuable events that serve various communities. At school she is a member of her Principal’s Advisory Council where upcoming school events are discussed as well as issues at school and how to utilize the student voice to solve those problems.
Gregory Guillen
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Gregory Guillen is a filmmaker currently studying to become a cinematographer at Flashpoint Chicago. He believes that the power of film is a valuable tool to make people take action on issues that need attention in the world today. By interning at CAIR, he believes that he can do just that by fighting ignorance, and educating people on different cultures throughout the world. Outside filmmaking, Gregory enjoys running and watching movies as much as possible.
Afaaf Amatullah
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Afaaf Amatullah is a current undergraduate student at Elmhurst College with a triple-major in English, Philosophy, and Political Science. She admires the important work done by CAIR such as, giving minority groups a voice, addressing issues that systemically target them, and working alongside them in the struggle for social/policy change. She joined CAIR as an intern in order to learn more about advocacy, policy making, and grassroots activism. Outside of her studies, she is on the leadership board of a student-led campus sustainability project, a staff writer for her college’s student newspaper, The Leader, and a student research fellow for the departments of History and Criminal Justice.
Cristian Solis
Communications Intern - Summer 2019
Cristian Solis is a summer Communications Intern at CAIR Chicago. He is currently studying Audio Engineering in the Recording Arts Program at Flashpoint Chicago, a campus of Columbia College Hollywood. At Flashpoint Cris has had the privilege to work with his peers on Studio Recording different artists from different backgrounds: ranging from Baroque, to Hip-Hop, and Jazz. He has aspirations to be a Studio owner and Record Mastering Engineer. On his private time, Cris is involved with several different community organizations. A strong believer of helping all in need, he started his career in activism at Chicago Freedom school, a summer program for students aspiring to get involved with their communities. With this gateway organization, he has also had the privilege to be introduced to organizations like Hands of Peace, IMAN, and many others. Cris hopes to be a resource for people in need at CAIR, and is looking forward to working with members of the CAIR community by having conversations on Social Justice and enabling actions that help communities in need.
Margaret Halquist
Outreach Extern Intern - Spring/Summer 2019
Margaret Halquist is an independent artist and curator acting as an extern in the Outreach Department for the summer of 2019. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Arts Administration and Policy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. After spending the last year and a half working with refugees in Greece, Turkey, and the West Bank, she arrived in Chicago focusing on local matters related to migration as well as religious, cultural, and ethnic nurturance. She joined CAIR because of their unbiased approach to civil rights and fighting bigotry as well as to assist in building relationships to Chicago museums and other relevant institutions. Outside of her professional practice, she practices Kung Fu and frequents a Zen Buddhist temple. She also maintains a studio practice focusing on public sculpture and installation, periodically showing at galleries and alleys around the city.
Becca Turley
Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Becca Turley is currently an undergraduate at the University of Vermont where she is pursuing dual degrees in Political Science and Religion and a minor in Spanish as a member of the class of 2021. At her school, Becca is involved in various clubs and organizations on campus, like Explain the Asterisk, which works to dismantle rape culture on college campuses across the country. Once she graduates from university, Becca hopes to pursue a career involving international relations in the hopes of dismantling systems of oppression by engaging in the political system to affect change in the fight for the guarantee of universal human rights. Due to her passion of providing a voice for marginalized communities, Becca decided to join CAIR-Chicago to join the discourse surrounding the experiences of the Muslim community in Chicago and nationally, seeing the work done by non-profits as of paramount importance in educating the public in the fight against bigotry. Becca plans to study in Jaipur, India in the spring 2020 semester where she will explore various modes of sustainable development in India, learn Hindi, and conduct independent research on the Indian political system with an emphasis on the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). In her free time, Becca enjoys reading, hiking the Green Mountains and Adirondacks, and cooking various cuisines which she picked up while traveling around the world.
Natalia Vasylyk
Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Natalia Vasylyk is a Government Affairs Intern at CAIR-Chicago and a rising sophomore at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is most likely majoring in Political Science and minoring in Economics, although she has not officially declared yet. She is a member of her college’s Model UN team and a writer for the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review Journal. Natalia is passionate about international politics, human rights, diplomacy, and social justice. She hopes to attend law school after completing her undergraduate career. Natalia decided to join CAIR-Chicago because she wants to educate herself on the issues surrounding the larger Muslim community, promote civic engagement within the Muslim community in Chicago, write articles on Islamophobia, do policy research, and do everything she can to improve the civil rights of Muslims. Outside of academics, Natalia is a cat mom and a dancer who loves to perform all different styles of dance. Three interesting facts about Natalia are that she is trilingual (English, Ukrainian, and French) and is currently learning Russian, she has dreamed of living in NYC for as long as she can remember, and her role models are Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Amal Clooney.
Rakan F AlZagha
Outreach/Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Rakan F. AlZagha, 19, is an Outreach and Government Affairs Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He is a student at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and is currently double-majoring in Economics and Public Policy & Law and on the Pre-Law track. His professional goals are yet to be formed, however, he does have aspirations to work in the international law sector. Rakan is currently a Posse Foundation Scholar, a former Boeing Academy Scholar, and serves on his college’s Muslim Student Association Board, various interfaith groups, pre-law society, and works part-time as an Arabic translator and RA. When he is able to, he appreciates watching films, gaming, and exploring different cuisines. His academic and familial background, paired with his preceding experiences and avid desire to aid his own community, have pushed him to pursue this internship at CAIR and he is ecstatic to be a part of the summer 2019 intern cohort
Lina Aldadah
Outreach Intern - Summer 2019
Lina is a rising senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is a Global Studies major with a concentration in human rights and a minor in Spanish. Working at CAIR-Chicago, she would like create a unity between different groups of Muslims as well as connecting with non-Muslims as well. Lina would like to break the pattern of most Muslim communities breaking off into groups based on culture or ethnicity. The United States is known for bringing all different races and ethnicities together however integration between these groups is rarely seen. She would like to take the skills she will be learning at CAIR and put them to use to create a more inclusive society. She believes CAIR-Chicago has done amazing work in the past to help defend the rights of Muslims, but also spreads so much awareness about Islam through many positive outlets. Lina found CAIR-Chicago’s work to be really inspiring and wanted to join immediately. In her free time she loves running and hiking. She also loves watching college basketball, and her favorite team is Duke University. Lina has recently been very interested in the Islamic History of Spain, and lived in Granada, Spain to further expand her interests on the subject. Lastly, she has a fascination with languages and is currently trying to master Spanish and Arabic. Some interesting facts about her is that she was a competitive fencer for 10 years before she went to college, she’s traveled to 13 different countries, and loves to cook especially Hispanic or Asian cuisine.
Amir Mahmoud
Outreach Intern - Summer 2019
Amir Mahmoud is a 17 year old rising senior at Neuqua Valley High school. He is of Egyptian and Australian descent, has had a memoir published on a public Muslim website, and has helped the Webb foundation with their annual dinner video. He would like to attend UIC for the gen-ed classes, eventually, transfer to a more prestigious college, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. He decided to apply due to his previous experiences, familiarity, and volunteering with CAIR-Chicago. He likes what the organization advocates for and has had a passion for it since he is a Muslim as well. It will also expand his knowledge on topics he wouldn’t have discussed with peers at school, or in any current setting for that matter. He wants something productive and meaningful to do in his free time and really feels like this is a good program to keep himself busy as well. He has had quite a few previous appearances with CAIR events. He was featured in the My Jihad Ads along with his family. He also gave the opening speech for the CAIR video presented at the 2015 annual CAIR dinner event; he was also in the video as well. He lastly joined Ahmed Rehab in filming the video advertising the turkey trip giveaway. As for his personal interests, Amir has always had a passion for film making, directing, and producing. All the work that goes into it is truly an enjoyable thing for him to do. He also enjoys photography as he finds it very peaceful as well.
Joah Rosing
Outreach/Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Joah Rosing, an incoming freshman at DePaul University, joined CAIR-Chicago in the Summer of 2018 because he is very interested in government affairs and human rights. Impressed with his visit and subsequent internship during, he’s returned to CAIR-Chicago in our 2019 summer cohort. He is also interested in domestic and foreign topics surrounding the Muslim community. He previously encountered CAIR-Chicago with the JCUA's Or Tzedek program in the summer of 2017. Some of his hobbies are sports, politics, history and archaeology. All in all, he wants to further understand a professional environment and contribute to an effective workplace and further his knowledge in the professional workplace and prepare for a college environment.
Paige Thiel
Outreach Intern - Summer 2019
Paige, 20, is a rising Junior at Lake Forest College. She is majoring in International Relations and Religion with a minor in History. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, as she did this past spring semester studying abroad, and playing soccer. Through working as an intern with CAIR Chicago, Paige hopes to be able to foster interfaith communication and understanding along with educating the non-Muslim community on the history, culture, and beliefs of those from Muslim and Arabic backgrounds.
Nicole Carter
Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Nicole Carter will be a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the fall, where she is a double-major in Economics and International Studies. At school she serves as a Resident Assistant and competes on both the Forensics Team and the Federal Reserve Challenge Team. Prior to joining CAIR, Nicole worked as a global development programs intern for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and spent the fall 2018 semester studying in Ghana, where she was a fundraising/projects intern for the Play and Learn Foundation. An aspiring attorney, Nicole hopes to eventually build a career in human rights law working with NGOs and intergovernmental organizations. She was drawn to CAIR-Chicago by a strong disappointment in the way she sees Muslims and other religious minorities being treated, and a desire to help promote acceptance and civil rights in the US.
Brent Brewer
Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Brent, 19, is a native from Cumby, Texas. He is a senior International Relations major and a History/Legal Studies double minor at Lake Forest College. Following his graduation, Brent hopes to pursue a career in policy work and hopes to continue his passions for advocacy and cultural education. Outside of educational pursuits, he enjoys traveling, video games, kayaking, and writing. His interest in CAIR-Chicago began with his trip to study abroad in the U.A.E. where his engagement with the cultures present led him to the internship he has today. Brent hopes to bring a different perspective to CAIR-Chicago and he is excited to begin working this summer as a Government Affairs intern.
Christopher Nevarez Azdar
Outreach/Government Affairs Intern - Summer 2019
Christopher Nevarez Azdar is an Outreach and Government Affairs Intern at CAIR-Chicago. He is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he plans to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in both Political Science and Spanish. As a Staff Tutor at the UIC Writing Center, where we has worked for the past 5 semesters, Chris has gained a special appreciation for the writing process. He will be applying for law school and hopes to use his unique perspective as a Latino Muslim to serve both communities upon graduation whether that be done through his work as an attorney or as a public servant. In his spare time he takes breaks from reading a Spanish translation of A Song of Ice and Fire, the Game of Thrones series, by skydiving in the middle of Illinois or snowboarding in Colorado.
Ayesha Mohammed
Research Intern - Summer 2019
Ayesha is a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago, majoring in Political Science and minoring in International Studies and Economics. Over the past few years, she has worked as an election judge in both the primary and general elections, served as a Research & Finance intern with an Illinois Senate campaign, and assisted her professor in undergraduate research. In the future, she hopes to pursue legal studies or further education in the field of international affairs. Ayesha has joined CAIR Chicago in hopes of making a tangible difference in the community and greater Chicagoland area. Outside of academics, she enjoys traveling, reading, and learning new languages.
Sojourner Hunt
Research Intern - Summer 2019
Sojourner Hunt is an undergraduate student at Emory University majoring in International Studies with a minor in French. Sojourner was drawn to CAIR-Chicago for its core values and research initiatives. Having gone to high school in Chicago, she is excited to be working on fighting discrimination at home. At CAIR-Chicago Sojourner hopes to learn skills that will help her in the work force long after graduation. She is excited to learn from CAIR’s passionate staff and her fellow interns. In her free time, Sojourner enjoys listening to podcasts, baking, and she is an avid dancer.
Jazmin Alvarado
Communications Intern - Spring/Summer 2019
Jazmin Alvarado was Chicago born and raised, specifically from the Humboldt Park area. Working, going to school, and doing an internship are all pretty hard for a student to take on, but Jazmin wants to do it. She is currently studying to get her Bachelor’ degree in graphic design at Flashpoint Chicago. After producing graphic design work for four years, she wanted to focus on making important critical art that can make a difference. She chose CAIR-Chicago because they believe in fighting for civil rights. Being exposed to hate and racism simply from being born into a minority group is not unseen by her. CAIR-Chicago does everything she wish she could; she is of Mexican descent and there is a lot she wishes she can advocate equality. She will learn everything she can and incorporate it into the world through her work. We all deserve to life in a world where no one should be judged by the color, language, or religion and stopping hate is what she is all about. Personal interest include designing art, running, baking goods, traveling, participating in protests, and camp fires while making s’mores.
Lacey Latch
Communications Intern - Spring/Summer 2019
Lacey is a spring Communications Intern at CAIR-Chicago and an undergraduate student at DePaul University dual-majoring in Journalism and Media & Cinema Studies. She is originally from a small town in New Jersey but has made her way to the Windy City to begin telling some of the most important stories of today. Lacey gravitated toward working with CAIR because of the importance placed on the voices of marginalized communities and CAIR's devotion to ensuring that an accurate representation of Muslims has a presence in mainstream media. When she's not reporting, she enjoys FaceTiming her dogs back home and failing to choose something new on Netflix, ultimately settling on watching "30 Rock" for the hundredth time.
Aya Mahjoub
Civil Rights Intern - Spring 2019
Aya Mahjoub is a law student at DePaul University College of Law. She is originally from Ohio but attended the University of Pittsburgh, completing her degree with a major in psychology as well as a certificate in Arabic Language and Linguistics. Being of Syrian-American descent, Aya has focused her studies on Immigration Law and has completed the one-year long Immigration and Asylum Clinic at DePaul Law. She hopes to graduate in the Spring of 2019 and pursue a career focusing on helping clients with their immigration and asylum cases. In her free time, Aya enjoys traveling with her family, trying new cuisines, and attempting to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Mesut Mamaloglu
Research Intern - Winter 2019
Mesut Mamaloglu is an undergraduate student at American Islamic College majoring in Islamic Studies. He has previously volunteered at a non-profit that focused on youth education. Mesut is excited to be a part of the CAIR-Chicago team. During his tenure at CAIR, Mesut wants to learn more about the Muslim community in Chicago and the workings of a successful non-profit organization. He also wants to improve his research skills while working on projects for the benefit of the Muslims. He hopes to implement the knowledge and skills he attains from his internship to future research projects that he wants to conduct regarding Islam and America. In his free time, he enjoys talking walks along Lake Michigan and listening to podcasts.
Eric Forehand
Research Intern - Winter 2019
Eric Forehand is working in the Research Department for the Winter Term. Eric is currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, studying Arabic, Government, and Environmental Science. He has previously worked coaching and tutoring fellow students, in addition to interning at an immigration law firm. He is excited for this opportunity at CAIR-Chicago to help fight injustice and bigotry aimed towards Muslim-Americans and working to create a more tolerant and equitable world. He hopes to learn skills at CAIR-Chicago that he will be able to use beyond his tenure here. Eric enjoys running, hiking, or just spending time outdoors with friends and family. A big fan of all-things music, he loves to play piano in his spare-time.
Jason Simons
Research Intern - Winter 2019
Jason Simons is a Winter term research intern at CAIR-Chicago. He is currently an undergraduate student at Benedictine University pursuing dual degrees in Business Analytics and Finance. He has previously interned and volunteered at several nonprofit organizations geared towards supporting people with job training skills. He is excited to grow his research and writing skills while supporting a noble cause at CAIR-Chicago. He believes in the values of CAIR-Chicago and is excited to support their mission of helping American-Muslims fight discrimination and injustices that occur nationwide. In recent years, he has focused his free time on traveling, enjoying nature’s beauty and spending time with family and friends
Nada Afaneh
Operations Extern - Winter 2019
Nada worked in Telecommunications companies for 5 years before moving to Chicago. Currently, Nada is pursuing her MBA from DeVry University. She previously worked for other non-profit organizations that were concerned in empowering people for a better living. From each experience she had been through, she learned a lot and gained new skills that improved her personality on the professional and personal levels, and now she is eager to get new experiences from CAIR-Chicago. CAIR-Chicago holds values that Nada always believed in and is passionate about. In her free time, Nada enjoys cooking and trying new recipes, she also likes to explore new places.
Bayan Fares
Outreach Fellow - Winter/Summer 2019
Bayan, 22, is an Outreach fellow at CAIR-Chicago. She is a Master’s student at the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago. She graduated from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Social Work where she served as a United Way of Porter County Intern, President of the MSA, and Founder of Banat (a professional women’s networking group). Over the years, she has traveled to six countries (including Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria). These experiences have helped build her passion for human rights, service, and networking which led her to this CAIR-Chicago internship.
Abu Ubaida
Operations Intern - Winter 2019
Abu Ubaida is a student of American Islamic College in his final year of bachelor’s degree program in Islamic studies. He is an immigrant from Pakistan where, in Karachi, he was running his books and stationary store. In Chicago, he started driving a taxi cab. In the meantime, he studied at the Truman College and obtained Associate degree in 2012. He feels excited on learning that CAIR-Chicago is determined to support American Muslims against prejudice and discrimination for being Muslims, and that, it has made it a point to fight for bigotry and prejudice on the basis of faith. He hopes to learn a good deal from CAIR-Chicago during the tenure of his internship.
Joseph Milburn
Law Clerk - Winter 2019
Joe Milburn is a law student at DePaul University College of Law. He is originally from St. Louis where he went to Saint Louis University and double majored in Criminal Justice and Political Science. In college, Joe served as community service chair for his MSA. When Joe lived in St. Louis, he was a Government Affairs intern for CAIR-Missouri and co-founded a soup kitchen at West Florissant Masjid in St. Louis. Joe hopes to become a civil rights attorney that is of service to all marginalized communities while having a focus on fighting against Islamophobia as well as discrimination against those with disabilities (especially those who have Autism). In Joe’s free time (which is almost never due to the pressures of law school) Joe likes to work out, binge watch Law & Order: SVU, go mosque hopping (especially in Ramadan), learn about Islam, and go kayaking. Staying true to his Saint Louis roots, Joe being a Cardinals fan does not wish well for the Cubs! Staying true to his Scottish heritage, Joe is eager to wear his kilt at just about any occasion! Joe is currently in the process of teaching himself how to speak both Bosnian and Arabic.
Sufyan Shaltaf
Civil Rights Intern - Winter 2019
Sufyan Shaltaf is a Palestinian-American Muslim who is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago pursuing dual degrees in Biochemistry and Political Science. Sufyan was born to Jordanian-Palestinian immigrants in East Chicago, IN, and raised with a strong moral and work ethic. He is an aspiring attorney and hopes to begin law school in the Fall of 2019. Sufyan is involved in various efforts in the Chicagoland area geared towards reducing the health, economic, and educational disparities which exist for marginalized, underrepresented, and underprivileged communities. In his personal life, Sufyan is the proud companion of 3 cats: Yogi, Pretty, and Einstein. He enjoys reading, watching nature documentaries and (basically all) sports, running, playing basketball, and listening to reggaeton and classical music.