Our Staff
Paper Airplanes is run by a team of educators, advocates, aid workers, refugees, and former students, all dedicated to expanding opportunities for those affected by conflict.
Christina Peebles
Managing Director
English, Russian, Spanish, Georgian
Christina Peebles joined Paper Airplanes in 2021 as Director of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation. In June 2021, she was appointed as our Managing Director. She has worked in education development for six years, the last four of which have been in the Syrian context. Christina earned her BA in Communications and Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta, and she is currently completing her Micromaster in Data, Economics, and Policy Development at MIT. She is based in Beirut and speaks Russian, Spanish, and Georgian. When she's not brushing up on education economics, Christina enjoys getting outdoors and cooking.
Shaymaa Elgayar
Director of Communications and Fundraising
English, Arabic
Shaymaa joined Paper Airplanes in 2021 as the Director of communications. She's a University of Ottawa Alumni who majored in Biomedical Science with a minor in Management. As a third-culture kid, she is always excited to learn about different cultures and appreciates the beauty that makes individuals diverse while relishing commonalities between cultures. In her free time, Shaymaa enjoys reading books, listening to music, and playing video and board games.
Karim Dabbagh
Office Manager
English, Arabic
I joined Paper Airplanes in 2022 as an office manager. I studied Business Administration at Aleppo University, as well as Agriculture engineering. I am always excited to participate in voluntary work to gain more experience in business administration and various fields. I also love everything related to modern and ancient history. I like to spend time out with a sip of coffee while listening to Blues music in my free time.
Cross Program Roles
English Program
Women in Tech Program
Veterans
Cross-Program Roles
Maxine Noel
Education Advisor
English
Maxine graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a Bachelor's in Psychology and Criminology. She is currently studying towards a Master's in Criminology at the University of Pretoria. Maxine has been with Paper Airplanes since 2019, volunteering as an English Tutor. She holds a TEFL certificate and is currently employed as an ESL Teacher. Maxine has a varied career background, having worked as an academic tutor, photographer, graphic artist and marketing professional. She is passionate about language and learning and loves to share her knowledge through teaching. Maxine loves to travel and meet new people, feeding her curiosity about languages and cultures.
Kate Efron
Curriculum Designer
English
Kate Efron is an ESL/EFL educator and teacher-leader, and writer/editor, who has been working internationally for eight years with learners across the lifespan in various contexts, including K-12 public schools in Japan, online classrooms for learners affected by conflict, NPOs, and conferences on language teaching and teacher leadership. She has presented on communicative language teaching methods at professional development seminars in Japan and online. Kate holds a Master of Science in Education in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education and an ESL/EFL Teacher Preparation Certificate from IUB and is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Professional Practice Program at Antioch University. At present, she works for Cambridge University Press as a language development tutor.
Stephanie Cannon
Curriculum Design Assistant
English, Arabic, Russian
I'm Stephanie, a first-year Security Studies Master's Candidate at Georgetown University concentrating in technology and security and pursuing a certificate in Eastern European studies. I graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2021, where I studied international affairs, Arabic, and Russian. I joined Paper Airplanes as a tutor in 2018 and have held several roles since then, including Tutor Coordinator, Speaking Classes Coordinator, and Curriculum Design Assistant. When I'm not studying or working, I enjoy hiking, watching college football, and spending time with my friends and family, including my identical twin sister!
English Program
Ibrahim Alaboud
Program Manager
English, Arabic
Ibrahim is a Syrian lawyer and has a master's degree in criminal law. He joined Paper Airplanes in 2018 as a student in the English program. He applied to be part of the Paper Airplanes team and has held several roles since then, including Student Coordinator in 2019, Admissions and Enrollment Coordinator in 2020, Program Coordinator in 2021, and the English Program Manager since January 2022. He likes reading and learning new skills.
Mahmoud Noureddine Srouji
Program Coordinator
English, Arabic
Mahmoud is a third-year medical student from Aleppo, Syria. He's interested in modern humanitarian causes, especially education-related ones. He speaks English and Arabic, and he's currently learning German. He first joined PA as a student, then he joined the team as a Student Coordinator, an LMS Coordinator, and now as a Program Coordinator. When he's not working or studying, he will probably watch Netflix or listen to music.
Manar Alshams
Admission and Enrollment Coordinator
English, Arabic, French
Manar graduated from Damascus University with a master's degree in periodontology. She is currently pursuing an MBA degree at Nexford University, a scholarship she gained as part of her participation with PA. Manar has been involved with Paper Airplanes since 2018 in different capacities, starting as a student in the English program, a student coordinator, and since 2021 as the admissions and enrollment coordinator. On top of working with Paper Airplanes, Manar works as a dentist and volunteers in different NGOs that focus on providing Education and health services for marginalized communities in Syria. Her favorite hobbies are learning languages, listening to music, and watching her favorite movies and TV shows!
Fatima Abualeneien
Muhammad Jabbas
Sarah Faron
Shihab Alkhalaf
Women in Tech Program
Rania Dadoul
Women in Tech Program Manager
English, Arabic, Russian
Rania is passionate about education; she used to work as a robotics instructor for youth, teaching them coding and design skills that qualify them to participate in competitions and come up with projects that solve community challenges. Currently, she works as a learning facilitator for conflict-affected students, delivering courses that equip them with the needed skills and knowledge to find their educational and career pathways.
Leslie Cordova
Women in Tech Program Coordinator
English
Leslie is originally from Peru, but she has spent half of her life in Texas. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin. After working in the business for a year and a half, she pursued her passion for education and moved back to Peru to volunteer as an English teacher. She lives in Philadelphia and is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, studying International Educational Development. Leslie loves working with and mentoring students of all ages and across all subjects. Her favorite hobbies are reading and watching thrillers, travelling, and going on walks with friends.
Baraah Ramadan
Women in Tech Program Coordinator
English, Arabic, Turkish
I am an Information systems engineer and web developer, a mother of 3 and a woman in tech. I am interested in inspiring women to get into IT fields in study and career. I work with PA as a wit program coordinator.
Jana Deepe
Instructor for Web Development
Helen Jo
Instructor for Business Analytics
Sammy Allaw
Instructor for Business Analytics
Sergio Ruelas
Instructor for Pythan
Mohammad Nour Massri
Instructor for Pythan
Tutors, Mentors, and Instructors who have been with Paper Airplanes for over 3 semesters
Helen Jo
Women in Tech Instructor
Jana Deepe
Women in Tech Instructor
Sammy Allaw
Women in Tech Instructor
Zena Kamel
Women in Tech Mentor
Leykashree Nagendren
Women in Tech Mentor
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