The Counselors – 2019

Counseling at Mizaan is not baby-sitting or policing. It is a delicate balance of developing a big-brother/big-sister relationship with counselees while maintaining a certain degree of authority in order to stick to the greater camp schedule and safety. The counselorʼs goal is to create an Islamic environment of support, understanding, and guidance.

Age Groups for Campers:

3-4th Grade
5-6th Grade
7-8th Grade
9-10th Grade
11-12th Grade

Separate Cabins for Girls and Boys

Counselor Leads

Sumayyah Bilal is THRILLED to serve as part of the head counselor team for the...how many years has it been now? Mizaan is definitely one of her favorite highlights of each year! By day, Sumayyah guides young minds in instrumental music in Columbia, MD where she serves as the Director of Bands at Lake Elkhorn Middle School. By night she teaches private instrumental music lessons, and is also the owner and executive chef of Codetta Bake Shop, a Baltimore-based bakery specializing in handmade cheesecakes and other delicious confections. Perhaps you’ll get a sampling of some of her work this year… You might say Sumayyah puts the “treat” in Mizaan retreat! If you have any questions about Mizaan happenings (or Mizaanigans, as she likes to call them), please feel free to talk to Sumayyah when you see her around camp! She is quite approachable, and even showers daily so as to be ready for one-on-one conversations. WELCOME TO THE MIZAAMILY!!!!

Sumayyah Bilal

Counselor Lead

Salaam Y’all! My name is Subhan. I've officially lost track of how long I have been part of the fam. I currently work with CelebrateMercy, a muslim non profit organization. I like everything that empowers the mind, body, and soul. I’ll leave the rest of the bio for when we talk over some chai or hit the sand for some volleyball. Looking forward to connecting with the ever expanding Mizaan Family!

Subhan Vahora

Counselor Lead

Counselors

Hi! My name is Amani and welcome to the Hunger Games! You will now compete to the end for every meal. Jokes aside, remember to have your fingers up and mouths closed and we will win every meal time. I've been a counselor for 37 years and I'm excited to get to know all of you! I've recently graduated from Duke and while I'll be working in NYC this next year, I will secretly be pursuing my dreams to attach so many balloons to my house it floats away to Paradise Falls (the wilderness must be explored!). If you are in my cabin, congratulations! It's going to the best weekend! By the end of camp, you'll have heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned, sung with all the voices of the mountains, and painted with all the colors of the wind. Here's to a new year of Mizaan with a lot more s'mores and fun and a little less information about Tom Holland.

Amani Ahmed

Counselor

Asalaam alaykum, My name is Amir. I graduated from Princeton with a degree in Aerospace engineering, and now I work as a software engineer in the asset management industry. During my free time, I enjoy reading, working out, meditation, singing, learning guitar, and making smoothies. After years of watching all my MSA friends participate in Mizaan, I’m finally caving in and joining this year and am very excited to be part of this wonderful summer camp that seems to be the talk of the town! Please come say hi, and let’s spend some quality time together insha’Allah.

Amir Raja

Counselor

Ayanna Sharif: Born and raised in Baltimore, MD Ayanna is a graduate of Morgan State University receiving her BFA in screenwriting and animation.During her time at MSU Ayanna was the president of the Muslim Student Association for two years and the co-captain for the women's lacrosse club in her last year. A lover of all art forms her true passion is filmmaking. She currently works in film production as a script Supervisor on various films and music videos. She also loves to travel! This is her third year as a counselor and she's excited to see all new and returning Mizaan family.

Ayanna Sharif

Counselor

Salam! My name is Latifa Aboeid. I am studying Global Health and Asian & Middle Eastern studies at Duke University. This is my second year at Mizaan, but hopefully it won’t be my last! I can’t wait to see old friends and meet new people. If you’re in my cabin get ready for a lot of bad singing, meme references, and bonding!

Latifa Aboeid

Counselor

Nabil here! I graduated from Princeton but still attend Princeton… I also work in the federal government, helping combat the nationwide opioid crisis through civil rights enforcement. This is my sixth year at Mizaan, and I am trying to be the first counselor to have been a part of every cabin age group. So far I’ve done 3th-12th… Only college remains! I like drinking bad black coffee and visiting aquariums. My recent obsession is David Dobrik– does that make me relatable to Gen Z? Let’s focus group this. Anyways, please come up to me at camp! Salaam.

Nabil Shaikh

Counselor

Salaam everyone. I’m a rising sophomore at virginia tech. I like skiing, chocolate, and cars. I also lift and play the guitar. This will be my first year as a counselor and I can’t wait to start!

Nyle Abedin

Counselor

Hi all, My name is Omar Benallal! I am from High Point, North Carolina and currently attend Duke University, where I am double majoring in Chemistry and History with a minor in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. As this is my first time serving as a counselor for Mizaan, I am super excited to share in the spirit of Mizaan with you all this labor day weekend. I can’t wait to meet you all for a weekend filled with faith and fun at Mizaan retreat!

Omar Benallal

Counselor

Hey All, My name is Raouf! I have been working at Legend Biotech. It’s a pretty cool company and they do CAR-t cell therapy research. I am going into my senior year at Stevens Institute of Technology where I am hurting as a biomedical engineer. I kinda like running, and I really like racing in the winter and spring with the Stevens XC/TF Team! I am excited to meet all of you!! PS: That’s my mom

Raouf Laadem

Counselor

Hi, my name is Sabreena and my counselor photo has my mouth open because a bunch of other counselors had photos with their mouths open and I wanted to fit in! I graduated from the University of Virginia in Spring 2018 and have been pretending to be an adult ever since. I enjoy twizzlers, making pottery, and losing volleyball games and can’t wait to lose to you all at camp this year!

Sabreena Abedin

Counselor

Salaam! My name is Sanobar and I'm thrilled to return to Mizaan as a counselor again this year. I was raised in Reading, PA and I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2018 where I studied Medicine, Science, and the Humanities with concentrations in Classics and Gender Studies. I'm currently working toward earning a masters in Scientific Writing at Temple University. I love ice cream, wholesome memes, and exploring new parts of the world. I'm so excited to embark on a new beginning in a familiar place with all of you at Mizaan this year!

Sanobar Shaikh

Counselor

Assalamu Alaikum yall, my name is Yousuf Tariq-Shuaib. I’m a sophomore at Princeton University studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This is my first year being a counselor at Mizaan Retreat. I’m interested in a lot of stuff ranging from soccer (ironically how I became crippled for the retreat) to video games to rocketry. Inshallah this camp goes well and we have a fun time. See yall there.

Yousuf Tariq-Shuaib

Counselor

Aaminah Bhat is a New Jersey native with a passion for Halo Pub ice cream. She graduated from Yale University in 2018 where she studied Global Affairs specializing in migrant and development studies. Aaminah is passionate about social justice and soccer. She is the Co-Founder of Students of Salaam, a 501-C3 non-profit geared towards serving refugees and their new communities.

Aaminah Bhat

Counselor

Salam everyone! My name is Anhar and this will be my first year as a Mizaan counselor and I am very excited to come on board! I graduated last year from Princeton University majoring in Religion with minors in Creative Writing, Visual Arts and Film, and Near Eastern Studies. I’m both a journalist for Forbes.com and a video/media professional- so happy to talk about all that with anyone that is interested. I’m also happy to talk movies/shows all day with anyone because I can’t get enough of that stuff. So excited to meet you all soon!

Anhar Karim

Counselor

Hi! I’m Khan Shibly. I graduated from grad school a few years and now I’m working as a full-time architect in New York City. My natural curiosity for design, art, and nature has given me the opportunity to travel the world and explore new cultures and ideas. However, I still haven’t had the chance to go camping in the States! I look forward to sharing my “first” camping experience with all of you!

Khan Shibly

Counselor

Salaam everyone! My name is Mahnoor, and I just recently graduated from Duke with a major in Psychology and Global Health. This will be my first time at Mizaan, and I’m so excited to meet everyone and have a wonderful time! I love traveling, painting, photography, and dumb adventures that make for good stories, so I’m looking forward to creating some new memories this weekend inshAllah. 🙂

Mahnoor Nazeer

Counselor

Salaam! This picture is of me and my baby brother, Neeyam 🙂 I have three brothers! Yay me! I graduated in 2017 with a BA in anthropology and work in fintech in NYC. This is my third year at Mizaan and I am SO excited to be a part of it again. Mizaan is a beautiful experience, one that I genuinely look forward to with all of my heart. The friendships are truly everlasting. And the memories you make never really leave you. Can’t wait to meet you all!

Nusrat Ahmed

Counselor Lead

Salaams! My name is Omar, and I've been attending Mizaan on and off since the very first retreat - mostly as a camper, but this will be my second time counselling. Bounced around a few different paths but settled on premed. Currently working at Medina Clinic in Trenton and volunteering EMT on weekends while working towards med school, filling up whatever free time is left with movies, books, and a whole bunch of other nerd stuff. Looking forward to meeting everyone at Mizaan!

Omar Abbasi

Counselor

Hey everyone. I’m Rabia, a 2018 graduate from Princeton with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and global health. If you're into fun things like hiking and singing and care about issues like health equity, then I'm your girl. This will be my fourth time at Mizaan, can't wait to forge new memories with everyone there!

Rabia Khan

Counselor

Salam! I’m Sabiya Ahamed, originally from Brooklyn, NY! I currently live in Washington, DC where I like to explore cafes, pet cats, and talk lots of politics. I am entering my final year at Georgetown Law in the fall and I completed my undergraduate degree at Brown University. This will be my first time with the Mizaan Retreat, and I am super excited to join the wonderful folks at Princeton’s Muslim Life Program, as well as my fellow camp counselors, and everyone at Mizaan. May Allah make it a rewarding and transformative experience for all of us! Ameen 🙂

Sabiya Ahamed

Counselor

Asalamualaikum! 🙂 I'm Sarah from Lancaster, PA (home of the Amish & neighbor to The Sweetest Place on Earth! Woot woot!). I graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 2018, where I majored in Public Health given my interest in how medicine intersects with policy and access to physical and mental health care globally and here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Aside from my love for all things Public Health--whether it be addressing refugee health to youth and female empowerment (yes, those are Public Health issues!)--I love learning about ways in which Islam can be applied within our daily lives and in sustaining a healthy community centered around that pursuit. Before officially joining the Mizaan team in 2016, I had the opportunity to work in various capacities with MYNA (Muslim Youth of North America) and MSA (Muslim Students Association) National, alhamdulillah. Alright, enough about me - I look forward to learning some great knowledge, reflecting upon how we can implement it, working towards achieving a healthy 'balance' (see what I did there?) in our lives, and meeting YOU at my fourth Mizaan retreat, inshaAllah! 🙂 <3

Sarah Hafiz

Counselor

Salaam! My name is Shaina and I am currently a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in International Relations and Consumer Psychology. At Penn, I am passionate about Asian American issues/representation and social entrepreneurship on campus. Outside of this, I love travelling and exploring new spaces—even though I have no sense of direction—and oftentimes have my music blasting.(Every year on my birthday I make a Spotify playlist with exactly 365 songs every year on my birthday, so please feel free to share suggestions with me.) This is my first time being a part of the Mizaan Retreat and I cannot wait to be a part of something so special! I am psyched to make s’mores, look at the stars, and be at the campfire with you all!

Shaina Zafar

Counselor