SCHOOL STAFF
ARABIC TEACHERS
Syed Nabeela
Principal
Nabeela Syed serves as the Principal for the Mohammad Webb Youth Sunday Program. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, she moved to Chicago at the age of 13 and has lived here since then. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Arts of Social Science with a concentration in Early Education, and a post-bachelor degree in communication disorders and speech-language pathology. She currently works in Early Intervention as a speech therapist. Prior to that, she worked as a 2nd and 4th-grade teacher and then provided home daycare services for almost 3 years while going back to school. Nabeela also committed two years of teaching services to Webb Foundation and taught Seerah class for 4th/5th grade and Islamic Studies for 6th/7th grade. She enjoys working with children and adults and looks forward to working with Webb staff as a support and encouragement to help make teaching faith exciting and fun. Nabeela has two children and resides in Bartlett, Illinois.
Yasmin Ayyad
Vice Principal
Yasmin has a bachelors degree in special education. She taught students who need social & emotional support for 3 years. She was born a son raised in Illinois before moving abroad to Palestine to teach English to native Arabic speakers for 8 years. Yasmin has worked with almost all grade levels and had a huge passion for learning and personal development. She is a mama of 3 and enjoys fitness and reading in her spare time.
Lama Sharaf
Asalamualaikum! My name is Lama Sharaf and I will be teaching Quran and Arabic for kindergarten - 3rd grade. I was born and raised in Syria, Arabic being my native language. I have been teaching it at Webb Foundation for the last 9 years. I love teaching because of all the learning, exploring, and the fun, new experiences we get to have together. I can’t wait to help my students learn to recognize Arabic letters and start reading! Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead of us and can’t wait to spend it learning and having fun with you!
Fatima Alzahara Hussein
Fatma Alzahara Hussein is a Benedictine University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science and a minor in Arabic & Islamic Studies. At Benedictine University, Fatma served as the Interfaith and Ecumenical Coordinator in which she would serve as an ambassador to the campus for interfaith events. Outside of school, she is the Secretary at the Sudanese American Charity of Illinois. What interests Fatma the most is doing volunteer work. She loves to get involved with the community and stay connected to it. In her free time, she likes to meditate to diminish stress and engage herself spiritually. Fatma likes meeting new people and growing better connections with her surroundings. The quote that she lives upon is “Everything happens for a reason” in which she believes that people should be optimistic and focus only on the positive sides.
Shagufta
KG
My name is Shagufta Moinuddin, I’m a retired pharmacist, I have 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren. I have been taking tajweed and Quran recitation classes for over 3 years at Mecca Center. And am excited to be teaching at Webb foundation this year!
Afshan
1st Grade
Asalamualaikum! I am Afshan Haseeb. I live in Naperville with my husband and two boys I love teaching , especially history Have taught American history to high schoolers and undergrads
Riva Mahmood
3rd Grade
Assalam Alaikum! My name is Riva Mehmood and I will be teaching the second-grade class this year. I was born and raised in Chicago, and love living here. I like reading, traveling, and going to the gym in my free time! I also have a pet kitty, named Cookie. I am passionate about Islamic studies and helping kids learn new skills and information that they can implement in their daily lives. I hope to create an inclusive and safe space for each and everyone. I'm also super excited to get to know everyone and guide each student through a successful school year!"
Onessa
3rd Grade
Asalam Alaikum! My name is Onessa and I will be a third-grade Islamic Studies teacher this school year. My parents immigrated from Pakistan right before I was born and we have lived in the Chicago suburbs ever since. I currently work at a law firm but aside from work, I like to hang out with my friends and family, spend time outside in nature, travel and bake new recipes. Because of my background in the legal field, I have always loved history and philosophy but recently I have been delving further into Islamic history and ethics. I’m excited to create a warm and welcoming environment for my students that is gentle and kind and am looking forward to teaching Islamic Studies and creating lasting relationships with everyone that I will meet!
ISLAMIC STUDIES TEACHERS
Asma
4th Grade
Assalamualaikum everyone! My name is Asma and I've been living in the Chicago-land area since I was 5 years old. I've been working in the finance industry for over a year now. In my free time, I like to travel, cook new recipes, volunteer, learn about islam, and hang out with my friends and family. I've always loved spending time with kids, and have often been the go-to babysitter in my family. I look forward to combining that with my passion for islamic studies as the 4th grade teacher this year!"
Shama
5th Grade
Shama Ahmed, a native of Toledo Ohio, has lived in the Chicago area for the last 20 years. She is currently a Staff Attorney at CARPLS legal Aid where she assists low-income clients with their legal issues. She is also a long-time volunteer with Pro Bono Network, an organization that connects attorneys with pro bono opportunities. Shama resides in Glen Ellyn, IL with her husband and 4 children, where she can often be found on the sidelines of her kids’ soccer games. As she joins the Sunday School staff this year, she hopes to play a small part in nurturing her students’ hearts for a life-long love of the Quran and our beautiful deen.
Saym Basheer
6/7 Grade
Saym Basheer is a Pakistani-American immigrant. He has a Masters in Computer Science and work as a software development engineer at Nielsen. He enjoys the arts, logic, philosophy, and building things with his hands. His recent interest has been social and emotional intelligence. His goal for his class is that each student thinks critically about their faith and religious practices. By doing so, they will be able to create their own understanding of Islam and become a proud Muslim.