In the beginning of 2015, I had the honor and the privilege to manage the Prayer Center’s newly restyled monthly newsletter. Revamped with a fresh new title, The Insight, our mission was to bring quality information to the community.
Along with the rich knowledge and spiritual insight delivered by our Imams through their monthly written articles, we brought esteemed guest contributors such as Dr. Walid Khayr, Dr. Bassam Jody, Dua Abu Samhadana, Sh. Mohammad Shaaban and others, to share their insight in both English and Arabic languages. We also established a Youth newsletter team to highlight their amazing talents, as well as to give them a voice, and more importantly, to give our community some insight into their lives. Guidelines were implemented, but topics were not restricted to religious content. We should not live trying to fit Islam into our lives, we should live trying to fit our lives into Islam, as it encompasses everything we do and everything we are.
Fast forward to 2021, and I am thrilled to announce that two of our Insight newsletter team alumni will be recognized in our Annual Dinner for their outstanding achievements!
Yasmeen Sheikah published 17 pieces in the Insight between 2016-2019. She is a Palestinian-American Journalist, who has dabbled in broadcast, radio, print, digital media and documentary. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Yasmeen obtained her Bachelor’s in Journalism in May 2020. When in college, she scored a competitive internship with WGN-TV, later landing a job as a part-time producer at WGN Radio. During the height of the pandemic, Yasmeen was given the opportunity to become an editor for a national, digital news publication called Patch, where she still works today. Yasmeen has published nearly 2000 stories and has produced a documentary on the Tinley Park Lights Phenomenon of 2004.
Ayah Isa published 20 pieces in the Insight from 2019-present. She is the youngest of five siblings and is currently enrolled in Loyola University to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. Ayah has always had a passion for writing and won her first award in sixth grade for Best Young Author. At just twenty years old, Ayah has published her first book called Seeking Refuge, which will be available for purchase at our Annual Dinner. She plans to publish more books in the future.
Congratulations to these two amazing young women for their outstanding achievements in writing!
Please join us at 6 PM at the Tinley Park Convention Center on Saturday, November 6th for our Annual Dinner Surviving, Reviving and Thriving. You WILL be INSPIRED!!
By Connie Martin
