Ribaat Blog

I have always been passionate about education and my journey over the years has informed my role as Education Director at Rabata. The first day of school always had me lying awake the night before, unable to sleep from excitement—the anticipation of meeting a new teacher, starting a new grade, reading more books, and learning new things. As a child, my mother would lovingly refer to me as Dr. Eamaan, as I longed to one day fill that title, hoping to reach the pinnacle of knowledge. I would seek out learning in all possible ways, even jealous when my older brothers were assigned homework and I was not. Soon enough, my day came, and I remember eagerly rushing to my desk to complete my much-awaited homework.

Meet Ariel Schmid, our Ribaat Student of the Month who is on a journey to deepen her connection to Islam. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, to American and German parents, Ariel now resides in her hometown with her Palestinian husband and enjoys spending time with his extended family of siblings, cousins, and young ones. Ariel works as a strategy analyst at VITAS Healthcare, a leading national hospice provider, but her life is as much about nurturing faith and knowledge as it is about her professional endeavors.

The story of Ribaat women echoes in the journey of our December Student of the Month, Meherun Khanom-Noor. British-Bangladeshi, Meherun’s journey with studying Islam has transformed over the years, especially as she navigated new life changes, from university studies to, now, stay-at-home mother to three. In the midst of it all, she has always been a dedicated student of knowledge, whether it be in university classes, personal learning with podcasts and reading, or now with Ribaat.