Current Language Coaches 

Heena Sharief

My name is Heena, and I am a 4th year student here at Loyola majoring in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience and an Arabic minor! A little bit about me: I was born in Chicago and raised in its suburbs. I come from a South Asian ethnic background. My journey in Arabic started when I was in pre-school since I attended a full-time Islamic school till the 8th grade. Therefore, I’m trilingual - English, Urdu, and Arabic! My love for Arabic stems from my religious background, but I really came to appreciate the intricacies and beauty of the language after my journey from ARAB 101 - ARAB 104, including the courses that came along with the minor. I was so excited when ustaadha asked me to take on the role as the Arabic coach, and I aspire to share my love for the language with other students and help them better their linguistic skills, inshaa' Allah!

Former Language Coaches   

Nasar Qureshi

My name is Nasar Qureshi and I am a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Biology and Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience. I also have minors in Arabic and Islamic Studies, having completed both programs last year. My love for Arabic stems from my rich connection with Islamic Studies, having memorized the Quran at a very young age and serving as a leader of many Islamic and humanitarian organizations. I studied the Arabic language under various scholars and institutions in Chicago and hope to further my connection with the language by studying abroad. As a non-native speaker, I understand the challenges of learning a new language and hope to aid students in improving their speaking, reading, and pronunciation abilities over the course of the year. In my free time, I enjoy visiting various restaurants in the Midwest, reading books, and playing sports.

Asmaa Raeedy

مرحبا my name is Asmaa Raeedy, and I go by Sam. I am from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia born and raised. In addition, lived in China for 11 years + 2 debatable years. As a result, I am trilingual. I am a senior majoring in Mathematics and Computer Science (Pre-med). Moreover, I LOVE to travel, and one thing I learned while traveling is that if you want to learn a language, you need to speak it. Speaking with natives is the best way of learning, and that's why I am here to help you improve your Arabic. I learned Chinese by speaking, and you will be able to do the same with Arabic (inshallah). I love sports such as volleyball, basketball, and horse riding maybe we have something in common. I hope to be of a great asset for you this semester.  

Lilia Abushaban 

I’m a senior here at Loyola majoring in Global & International Studies and minoring in Arabic Language and Culture. I am a Palestinian-American and was born and raised in the south-west suburbs of Chicago. I grew up speaking Arabic at home with my family and have always been infatuated with the cultural diversity and politics of the Middle East. I also have worked as an Arabic tutor on multiple opportunities. I have traveled to the Middle East a couple of times; visiting places like Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan and learned so much about the people, cultures and political atmospheres there. My hobbies include exploring the different neighborhoods in Chicago with my friends, rollerblading, and visiting various coffee shops. I look forward to getting to work with you all!

Enas Aldakkak 

Enas is a junior majoring in psychology.  She joins our Arabic team in 2020 as an outstanding Arabic language coach helping students work on oral language skills, in both Formal and Levantine Arabic,  and authentic cultural interactions. Enas was born and raised in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Due to the war, she moved to Illinois where her mother originally lived. She still visits Syria almost every year during winter break. She loves visiting  Syria to refresh her mind and rejuvenate into a new mindset to start with in her next semesters. In her free time, Enas likes to read books, draw, and write. She is very passionate about Learning new languages. She is a native Arabic speaker, fluent in English and working on learning Spanish. She genuinely believes that languages are the key to learn about new cultures. Please stop by to have a conversation with Enas and help her learn about your culture too.

 

Ola Al-Bayati 

Ola is a senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Arabic Language & Culture. Being a native Arabic speaker from Iraq, born and raised in Jordan, Ola grew up speaking multiple dialects including shami, Iraqi, masri, .etc. Ola has visited multiple Middle Eastern countries learning more about their cultures and traditions, and she loves sharing those experiences with others. In her free time, Ola likes to help out by volunteering at non-profit organizations helping refugees. She plans to extend her aid after earning her medical degree and using it to seek out more ways to further help out refugees and give back to her community.