Meet our Board Members
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Dr. Ayesha Shah MD & Dr. Zakaria Albanna PhD
Physician and parent of a child with special needs
My husband and I began this idea of parent support group and peer buddy to improve acceptance and awareness of people with Autism and other developmental disabilities.
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Dr. Shahnila Raza
I’m a physician , writer and a mom . Love to play pickle ball, run and enjoy outdoor activities. Let’s make people aware:
No one is “Special”
All are “Equal “
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Faith Kone
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Ruqya Kenata
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Sonya Qureshi
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Danish Sheikh
Meet the Officers!
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Yusra Siddiq- Event Coordinator
I am a student at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing tennis and badminton, and volunteering in the Muslim community. Through this program, I hope to broaden my horizons and ultimately educate others on the misconceptions of special needs children.
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Esha Aslam- Event Coordinator
I was born in Islamabad, Pakistan and I am currently a junior at Houston High School. In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking, spending time with loved ones, and volunteering. I am beyond excited to be a part of SABR as I would love to meet new friends, learn more about children with special needs, and create a lasting impact on our community.
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Mariam Akbar- Event Coordinator
I am from London and a UofM graduate working in healthcare currently. I am a cat mom and love traveling, henna, interior design and DIYing! This initiative has a special place in my heart and I look forward to facilitating growth and awareness in our community.
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Alisha Afzal- Secretary
I am a current junior at Collierville high school. Aside from volunteering, I like playing lacrosse and reading in my free time. I joined SABR because I want to learn more about the special needs community and what I can do to help encourage inclusiveness.
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Eshaal Hassan- Media Manager
I am a senior at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. I enjoy writing, playing tennis, cooking gluten-free, and volunteering with Memphis Islamic Center(MIC). With this program, I hope to be more active in making an impact in the community, and I am excited to work with children with special needs.
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Aleesha Awan- Parent Coordinator
I was born in North Carolina and I am a sophomore at St Mary’s. I enjoy studying, reading, and hanging out with my friends. I joined SABR to learn about the special needs community and have a positive impact.
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Alina Sikandar- Photographer
I was born in New Jersey and am a Senior at Collierville high school. I love all things STEM and am currently a state officer of the TN technology students association. I aspire to major in biomedical engineering on the PA track to use my love of design to improve the world for those around me.
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Adeena Awan- Peer Coordinator
I was born in Lahore, Pakistan and am a student at Hutchison School. I enjoy reading, baking, and hanging out with my friends during my free time. By joining SABR I am excited to serve my community and work with children with special needs, while learning more about myself and the spectrum.
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Amal Ahmed- Peer Coordinator
I have lived in Memphis my entire life, and I am currently a sophomore at St. Mary’s School. I spend my time reading and hanging out with friends and family. My involvement in SABR exposes me to a community of loving children with special needs. I am truly honored to be in a position where I can make a positive impact on their lives, and I look forward to being part of the change every day.
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Hafsa Qureshi- Parent Coordinators
I was born in Memphis and have been living here ever since. I am a junior at St. Mary’s and my hobbies are reading, traveling, and hanging out with my friends. I joined SABR to make an impact on the special needs community, and I’m excited for the journey ahead with this amazing group.
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Fatima Hashmi- Outreach Coordinator
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Eesa Hashmi- Outreach Coordinator
“To the ambassadors of SABR who helped create SABR, we appreciate your services. Best of luck for college.”— Dr. Ayesha Shah
The Founders
Dr. Ayesha Shah & Dr. Zakaria Albanna
Maryame Laghouile
Mariam Akbar
Qasim Akbar
Talal Siddiq
Ayrah Kashmiri
Julia Kanawati
Alyaan Salman
Noorain Gill
Dua Akbar
Ahad Farooq