Meet our Board Members

  • 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.

  • 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 “


  • Faith Kone

  • Ruqya Kenata

  • Sonya Qureshi

  • Danish Sheikh

Meet the Officers!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • Fatima Hashmi- Outreach Coordinator

  • 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