Anse Shaimaa Zayan was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. As a child, she was blessed with an exceptionally loving and caring Islamic environment where she memorized Quran, learned basic Islamic studies, and developed her love and appreciation for the Arabic language. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and taught for 3 semesters at Cairo University. She moved to Texas in 2007, where she earned her masters in Special Education and Diversity from UT Austin and taught Math to middle/high school students.
During the pandemic, Shaimaa discovered her passion for community work and social justice serving the unprivileged families through humanitarian assistance programs at the local Islamic center. Currently working as the Community Relations Coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relation (CAIR), Shaimaa enjoys building bridges and enhancing the understanding of Islam through outreach and educational programs. Shaimaa holds a Tajwid Ijazah and did her thesis in teaching Arabic Early Literacy for non-Arabic speakers. She feels both honored and excited to join the Ribaat community as a tajwid teacher for the first year.
Beside work, Shaimaa enjoys the company of her three children, walking in nature, painting, and writing Arabic poetry.
