Meet the YAC
The Youth Spiritual Summit Advisory Committee (YAC) is composed of former directors, counselors, youth participants, and other contributing community members. The advisory committee oversees the selection of the directorial team known as the Alumni Family, which is an annually rotating team of former youth participants who have recently aged-out of the program. The YAC is responsible for the professional development, spiritual enrichment, and programmatic guidance needed to empower the Alumni Family with the values and excellence that make YSS the incredible program it strives to be.
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Omar Ezzeldine has been involved in youth camps and activities for over 35 years and is the founder of Camp Izza, a summer day camp in Irvine that is accredited by the American Camp Association. He works as public school administrator and he's an adjunct professor at USC. He and wife Munira Lekovic Ezzeldine are parents to 3 boys and proud to support youth programs for the community. Omar is the founder of YSS and oversees the YAC as its chair. He supervises the efforts of the advisors and oversees the development of training & professional development for the YAC, Alumni Family, and Counselor Staff.
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Hana Ayoub is an Egyptian American from the South Bay of LA. She earned her masters from USC in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, through which she found herself immersed in some of the most novel scientific advancements. Hana is currently on a pursuit of knowledge, not only in the field of medicine, but also in the Islamic tradition. In her free time she enjoys puzzles of various varieties including word, logic, and jigsaw puzzles. Hana joined the Youth Spiritual Summit for its beautiful mission of providing an environment for youth to connect with each other and their Creator, regardless of their backgrounds. She most treasures her involvement in cultivating leadership and contributing to the youth’s journey of finding faith, community, and identity. Hana currently serves as a member of the Advisory Committee as well as a counselor during the summit.
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Yusuf Ezzeldine has been involved with youth programming since 2015 and joined the Advisory Committee as an inaugural member in 2019. He is passionate about the intellectual and communal empowerment of young leaders and strives to be an inspiring mentor, brother, and friend to all. Yusuf received his Bachelor's Degree in Cognitive Science from UCI where his researched focused on computational decision modeling and explored topics on phenomenology and the ethics of artificial intelligence. A data analyst by profession, on this team, Yusuf is primarily involved with the development of the YSS registration system, program scheduling, and feedback analytics.
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Talha rafique is a Pakistani American born and raised in Los Angeles. He’s currently completing his quantitative biology degree at USC and served as a counselor for YSS for 2 years before joining the leadership team. Talha is pursuing a life in medicine but makes sure to diversify his learning. He study’s Arabic at the Institiute of Knowledge and intends to complete their seminary course. He also enjoys working on various projects including a food reclamation service and free telehealth service for those in need. Talha believes in fostering healthy and growth centric environments for himself and those around him to become the best versions of themselves that they can be.
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Hiba Khan is an Indian American from Orange County. She is currently studying Psychology at UC Irvine, and plans on attending grad school. In her downtime, she likes to watch TV shows or play with her cat, Ash. As a former Alumni Family member, Hiba was drawn to the close-knit Muslim community fostered by YSS, encouraging her to join the YSS Advisory Committee. She hopes to continue her role of leadership to create a fun, educational experience that is applicable for today’s youth.
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Yousef Khan has been attending YSS since its inception in 2019, was an Alumni Family member for YSS ‘23, and brings his wealth of experience to the Advisory team. He’s currently working towards his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at UC Irvine—he loves programming and spreadsheeting (especially with Yusuf). Some of Yousef's fondest memories from YSS include showcasing his self-taught piano skills to his peers in 2022 and taking the totem hunt way too seriously. He loves having deep conversations about astrophysics and the stars, but above all, hearing people’s stories. In his time with YSS, he’s learned to break out of his shell—learned to lead.
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Acknowledgements
Various leaders have contributed to the development of YSS since its original inception. Along with an annual batch of passionate young leaders from our community who compose the revolving directorial Alumni Family, we'd also like to acknowledge the contributions of various emeritus YAC members who have contributed to the establishment and success of YSS over the years. Special thanks to:
Mohammad Rasouli, Ronda Kalaji, Hala Khalifeh, Maryam Shama, Nadia Sawaf, Maryam Ahmed, Nadia Nassar, Firas Bdaiwi, Adam Elshiwick, & Sunya Ahmed.
Mohammad Rasouli, Ronda Kalaji, Hala Khalifeh, Maryam Shama, Nadia Sawaf, Maryam Ahmed, Nadia Nassar, Firas Bdaiwi, Adam Elshiwick, & Sunya Ahmed.
hosted by Rahma Center
FEDERAL TAX ID: 85-3255194
FEDERAL TAX ID: 85-3255194
