Born in Beirut, Lebanon, I immigrated to the United States with my parents, who were Palestinian refugees. I grew up in Weirton, West Virginia, and graduated from Fairmont State College with a Bachelor's degree in education, majoring in English and Library Science. I obtained a Master's Degree from West Virginia University in Curriculum and Instruction and a Masters in Educational Administration from Franciscan University. I continue to live in West Virginia, now in the beautiful mountains of the eastern panhandle, close to Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland.

With family members in many countries, I have always been interested in learning about those countries and engaging students in projects that connect them to other students in the world. I helped to introduce global education through iEARN to Winchester Public Schools and to teachers in Berkeley County, West Virginia, supporting four cohorts in the BRIDGE program. My commitment to iEARN grew when I had the opportunity to meet many dedicated iEARN educators at the 2017 conference in Morocco and thoroughly enjoyed serving as the local coordinator for the 2018 conference in Winchester, VA. I retired as library media specialist at John Handley High School in Winchester, Virginia, where I substitute occasionally. I continue to enjoy collaborating with teachers to involve students in iEARN through the International Book and Film Club projects.