Our Staff

A magna cum laude graduate of Carleton College with a B.A. in International Relations, Bailey is passionate about expanding opportunities for people affected by conflict. In addition to founding Paper Airplanes, Bailey is a 2017 Marshall Scholar, was a 2015-2016 Fulbright ETA in Turkey, and was a 2015 recipient of a $10,000 Davis for Peace grant for her work. At Carleton she was captain of Carleton's varsity women's soccer team, a 2015 class representative, and a three-year head delegate of the Model UN team. You can reach her at bailey@paper-airplanes.org.

Muriel graduated from Swarthmore College with a major in French and Francophone Studies and minors in Arabic and Islamic Studies. Since 2013, she has been involved in immigration and refugee law and policy, and she is passionate about providing educational opportunities and additional support to those affected by conflict. Muriel studied in Jordan through the CASA Fellowship and interned with the International Refugee Assistance Project prior to beginning her work as a legal representative at the Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia.

Anna Farrell graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2016 with PhD in comparative and international development education and an MA in linguistics. Her dissertation entitled "There is no nation without language (Ní tir gan teanga): Language policy and the Irish Dance Commission", won the outstanding dissertation award from the Language Issues Significant Interest Group of the Comparative and International Education Society. In addition to leading Paper Airplanes programs and pilots, Anna is a freelance academic editor and teaches adult intermediate level English to immigrants in Minnesota. In her free time Anna studies Irish and Arabic, Irish dances, bakes pies, and plays with her pet rabbit.

Mohammad Aljamous is recent graduate from Yarmouk University, Jordan, with a degree in Business Administration. Born and raised in Syria, he moved to Jordan to complete his studies and because of the war. He is interested in volunteer work and learning about new cultures and he has a preference for work in technology. In 2015 he joined Paper Airplanes as an English language student, and after this experience he decided to get involved to improve the program's progress, helping to empower refugee students. He is a firm believer in the right of education for refugees and conflict victims. He hopes the Paper Airplanes mission will make a true impact on students' life, and he is glad to be a part of this organization.

Sasha graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking in 2016. After graduation, she volunteered with the non-profit Bike & Build and landed in the Boston metro area where she now works as a graphic artist. She is passionate about engaging in social issues through activist art, and is dedicated to expanding Paper Airplanes’ exposure through visual channels. In her free time, Sasha enjoys baking sourdough bread.

A political science student at NYU Abu Dhabi, Chris is passionate about providing digital solutions to humanitarian issues. He was a contributing author on the recent "United Networks" report for the UN Secretary General, and his start-up providing mobile employment to refugees reached the Global Semi-Finals of the Hult Prize. He is also captain of NYU Abu Dhabi's Touch Rugby team, and helped set up the first High Schools Debate tournament in Abu Dhabi.

Natasha graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a B.A. in Journalism in December 2017. She is a three-time student Emmy award winner for her documentary and video work. As a third culture kid having spent the majority of her life living abroad, Natasha thrives on the culture of exchange – ideas, passions, and stories. She has a fervent desire to empower global voices affected by conflict and to create content that makes a difference. She started out with Paper Airplanes as a tutor for the journalism pilot program and is thrilled to now also be working as a member of the staff. Her day job is being a video producer for Time Out Beijing but in her downtime, you’ll find her daydreaming about being a dog owner or attempting to become the next Masterchef.

Baraa Almorei is from Hama, Syria but currently lives in Antakya, Turkey. He is preparing to enter university in the architectural field at the beginning of the next academic year and works as a graphic designer in his spare time. Previously he was a student of the English language program with Paper Airplanes, and because of his admiration for the organization's activities, he always sought to be part of the team. Now he's happy to be part of this beautiful organization and wishes to do everything in his power to develop and communicate the sound of Paper Airplanes around the world.

Chloe graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Middle Eastern studies and a concentration in linguistics. She was a 2016-2017 fellow with the CASA program in Jordan, and has also lived and studied in Morocco and France. Since returning from Jordan this past May, she has worked with World Learning on the pilot of the Arabic language version of their Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program, and started in January as a case manager at Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia. In her free time, she enjoys playing ice hockey, singing, and hiking, as well as hanging out with other people’s cats.

Sofia earned a triple-degree in business administration in May 2017 from the University of Southern California, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bocconi University (Italy). She is passionate about women's rights and education, and joined Paper Airplanes with the goal of creating new opportunities for those students who need them the most. Originally from Bologna, Italy, she currently lives in New York City, where she works in management consulting.

Gray is a rising senior at Carleton College who originally hails from Paducah, Kentucky and is currently studying Arabic in Oman. At Carleton, they study biology and Middle Eastern studies. Long-term, they aim to work in public health in the Middle East, specifically relating to endocrine disorders. They feel privileged to be a part of Paper Airplanes and believe in students' potential to make a difference through connection. When not in class, they are probably in a pool somewhere, playing cards, or working on a knitting project.

Hanan Rimawi is an undergraduate senior at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she’s pursuing degrees in neuroscience and public health. She started out with Paper Airplanes as a tutor in 2016 and is very happy to now also be working as a member of the staff. She considers it a privilege to engage with Syrian students and a committed, energetic staff. Fun fact: one of her closest friends is 104 years old.

Gabrielle (Gabby) Wimer graduated from the University of Chicago in 2016 where she studied the history of medicine and human rights. She is currently living in Xela, Guatemala where she is running MealFlour, a nonprofit that teaches people how to grow mealworms and turn them into a protein rich powder. She is passionate about global health and access to education and hopes to pursue a career in humanitarian aid.

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dylan Wells now works in the advertising industry in San Francisco, California. He started his journey with Paper Airplanes as an English tutor when the program only had a handful of volunteers, and after a few years of tutoring moved into the role of English Social Media Coordinator. Dylan is dedicated to advancing the cause of educating conflict-affected people. In his current role, he is happy to be helping PA build out its technological infrastructure and solve technical problems. He is a burgeoning programmer, avid reader of history, and enjoys podcasts about finance and economics. In his spare time, he is part of an improv comedy troupe and enjoys hiking.

Mert moved to the US two years ago from Istanbul, Turkey to continue his education. Currently he lives in Washington D.C.. He studied finance in Turkey. He loves politics. He got involved in political activities eight years ago, and he's still active with one of the biggest political parties in Turkey. He works really hard to make American/Turkish relations stronger while representing Turkish culture to the community. People say that he has a great voice. He makes sure that he plays soccer twice a week. He is in charge of the Turkish program, and sees that Turkish tutors feel great empathy towards their students. He strongly believes that we can solve problems with love, cultural interactions and by teaching Turkish.

Chase Small is a 2017 graduate of Ward Melville HS and is taking a gap year before attending Stanford University in the fall of 2018. He grew up traveling the world, including living in India for two years. There, he worked hard to immerse myself in the culture through learning Hindi and talking with people. During this time, he developed a passion for understanding global affairs and connecting with the individuals affected by them. He is also a passionate jazz musician. He is grateful for the opportunity to give back and work with people affected by conflict.

Sarah Khan graduated with a M.Ed. in Professional and Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania in 2015 after completing her Honors B.A. in English and Linguistics and Language Studies at York University, Toronto. In 2015, she was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship as an ETA in Turkey where she applied her pedagogical training and years of service as a student and community activist. Her passion lies in advocating for fair educational policies; creating accessible, quality-driven, and sustainable learning opportunities in post-conflict communities; and connecting students around the world to demonstrate the transformative value of personal relationships. Developing curricula and educational materials for Paper Airplanes encompasses all of these passions and has been her most rewarding project yet!

Remi Hassoun is originally from Syria, and is now based in Maryland, He previously worked for IMC in Turkey, where he helped deliver medical aid to those in need inside of Syria. He likes speaking with people from different places and all walks of life. His interests include architecture, film, documentaries, and all kinds of music. He joined Paper Airplanes because he believes in the beauty of life and the importance of not losing hope. He hopes to help people through language and bring new opportunities in their lives and restore hope for their futures.

Maggie graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a B.A. in journalism and political science in May 2017. During her time at Northeastern, she was a reporter for The Boston Globe, the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, and the Ozaukee County News Graphic. She created the curriculum for the journalism pilot program in her final semester and succeeded in getting an endorsement for the course from the faculty of the School of Journalism at Northeastern. She loves pop culture and traveling and is excited to help her journalism students share their stories. Her day job is being a marketing assistant at a nonprofit tech organization outside of Boston that builds fundraising software.

Sarah graduated from Swarthmore College, where she studied history, Arabic language and classics, in 2016. She went on to study at Grace Hopper Academy, a software engineering program for women. Sarah currently works as a software developer for an educational technology company in New York City, and she is excited to share her tech skills with Syrian students.

Marwa recently graduated from Damascus University where she studied information technology engineering. She's passionate about learning English, reading books and teaching others. She firmly believes she was given a lot and now it's her turn to give back. She's interested in children's and women's issues and she's been ready to volunteer in these areas whenever she's had the chance. She's hoping to pursue a Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence in the coming year. Her favorite quote is "There is no talent here, there is only hard work."

Ozge Gurler has been a Turkish teacher for 7 years. She graduated from Bulent Ecevit University's Department of Turkish Teaching in 2012. She currently lives in Kocaeli, Turkey, where she works as a Turkish teacher at a private college in Turkey. She loves teaching Turkish. She likes hiking and discovering hidden places in the nature. In her free time she likes reading. She goes by the motto "change the world with children, trees and books, and build bridges with languages.

Deren graduated from Wesleyan University in 2016, where she wrote an award-winning thesis on urban development in Istanbul. After teaching history at Saint Ann’s School for two years, she decided to go back to school full time. She is now entering her second year at the New School for Social Research, where she is preparing a Master’s thesis on the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Deren was born in Turkey and migrated with her parents to the United States in 2005. She is passionate about learning new languages—she speaks four!—and very excited to be a member of the Paper Airplanes team! Degisiklik yapmami istersen, cekinme soyle.

Reem Doukmak is doing a PhD at the University of Warwick in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. She came to the UK as a CARA fellow. She used to teach at Al Baath University in Syria. Her current research explores using drama as a teaching method in the English classroom with Syrian refugees in Turkey. She is currently working at Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre as a Community Participation officer. Her role is quite exciting as it involves building capacities of newly arrived families through well-being and cultural activities where refugees are encouraged to integrate into the local community. She is currently volunteering with Paper Airplanes as a student coordinator and she loves it!

Hussein Akoush is a Syrian freelance journalist based in Turkey. He has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, Middle East Eye, Daily Mail, Syria Deeply and other media outlets. In Syria, he studied dentistry for one semester then was forced to drop out in 2012 due to his activism. As an ambitious young man he didn’t give up, even though it was a challenge to overcome many obstacles and to start again. He began volunteering in medical facilities and then started working as a media activist, covering daily updates on all aspects of the war. He became interested in journalism due to the absence of objectivity and professionalism in Syria’s media outlets. Hussein was previously a student in the Paper Airplanes English Program.

Sam began as a tutor for Paper Airplanes two years ago and has been a Tutor Coordinator for one year. She is a junior at Carleton College in Minnesota, where she studies political science, Arabic, and Middle Eastern studies.

Ahmad is a 23 year old student from Syria studying architecture at Near East University in Cyprus. He worked with an NGO in Turkey from 2011-2014. He believes in helping Syrians gain education, and wants to continue helping them achieve this goal.

Stephanie is a junior at the University of Georgia majoring in International Affairs, Women's Studies, and Economics with a minor in Arabic. She spent her spring semester in Madrid, Spain studying at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and this academic year is studying at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. She loves traveling and learning new languages and she hopes to utilize her experiences working towards gender parity in negotiations of peace accords! She has been with Paper Airplanes now for over a year and a half and hopes to stay involved for much, much longer.

Joelle is a recent graduate of Swarthmore College with a double major in Political Science and French & Francophone studies. Being a tutor and manager for Paper Airplanes has been an incredibly rich and rewarding experience for her and she is thrilled to be helping out in a new role! Joelle is most excited about seeing the program's students progress and gain confidence in their English abilities to achieve their dreams and goals.

Wynter Oshiberu has had a deep curiosity for languages and cultures from a very young age, and as she grew older her curiosity has blossomed into an appreciation for the mutual interests that individuals from various backgrounds share.These interests developed into her passions, thus, she has worked with researchers, academics and thought leaders on various topics pertaining to the well-being and advancement of marginalized communities. She is most passionate about promoting and ensuring quality education for women and girls, especially in lower socio-economic settings and post conflict regions. As an avid language and education enthusiast, she has continued to augment her language skills and believes that technology will play a role in the amelioration of many social and global issues.

Joseph grew up surrounded by the cornfields of Illinois and was always curious to see other places. His first trip overseas was to Salzburg, Austria in 2008. After that, he took a long break from my studies, and wouldn't finish his undergraduate degree until after spending a year cycling around the U.S., volunteering at a meditation retreat center in Hawaii, and visiting Kyoto, Japan. In 2015, he graduated with a degree in Interpersonal/Intercultural Communication Studies (Summa Cum Laude) from Illinois State University. This year, he will complete his masters degree in TESOL at Temple University in Osaka, Japan. He lives and works in the Kyoto area. Volunteering with Paper Airplanes is a way for him to move past the helpless feeling he has when he thinks about the struggles so many people face. In the future, he hopes to find powerful ways to bring together his interest in travel, desire to help others, and emerging knowledge of teaching English as a second or international language.

Jessica Hernandez is pursuing a linguistics BA along with a Teaching English as a Second Language certificate at the University of Florida. She speaks Spanish, English, beginner French, and beginner ASL. She started tutoring with Paper Airplanes during Fall 2017 and she really enjoyed tutoring as well as being part of the Paper Airplanes crew.

Raquel has over 10 years experience teaching English as a second language in California public schools and community colleges. She has curriculum development and program evaluation experience. Raquel is a native of Los Angeles who likes to play soccer, hike and spend time with her family.

Christina Fuleihan will graduate from Rollins College in 2019. She is currently an undergraduate, premedical student pursuing degrees in biochemistry and philosophy, with a concentration in neuroscience. She is passionate about learning and believes that education transcends all borders. As a lifelong activist and volunteer, she is especially thankful to have been given the chance to help fellow students achieve their own goals through this program.

Isabella is a Junior at the University of Michigan studying History. She is passionate about Human Rights and language education, and Paper Airplanes has been a perfect fit. On campus, she is involved in another organization as a mentor and English tutor for the local Latinx community. She is fluent in Spanish, and has studied Arabic and a bit of Guaraní (Indigenous language of Paraguay). She is also a dancer and plans to pursue that professionally before attending law school and working in International Human Rights law.

Originally from Minnesota, Samantha received degrees in criminology and psychology with a minor in linguistics from the University of Minnesota Duluth. After receiving a TEFL certificate from Hamline University, she began doing volunteer English teaching for adult students from Somalia. In June 2016, she received a job teaching English to elementary and middle school age students in South Korea, which is where she is currently living. She is passionate about language teaching and learning. She has studied Spanish, Korean, German, Chinese, and would like to learn some Arabic as well. She started with Paper Airplanes as an English Tutor before becoming a Tutor Coordinator.

Bianca, originally from Houston, Texas, is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University with a major in Political Science. Her career goals are to attend graduate school, join the US Foreign Service, teach English abroad, and travel. At Paper Airplanes, she is an English tutor and Tutor Coordinator. She also leads an English conversation group for advanced English speakers. Two fun facts about her are that she's the oldest of four sisters and she can speak German and Spanish (and she's currently learning Italian)!