Unexpected Artistry

Tammy Abrahem holds a BA in History and a minor in Political Science from Rutgers University. She graduated from The American University in Cairo with a dual degree masters in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science. While studying in Cairo Egypt, Tammy worked for the United Nations affiliated organization IOM (International Organization of Migration). While there she interviewed refugee asylum seekers from Iraq that were temporarily displaced in Cairo, Egypt. She translated interviews from Arabic to English, and processed applications for refugees seeking asylum in the US during the Iraq War. She has since then switched career paths into private school education, teaching at the Calhoun School in New York, The Center of Education in Los Angeles, and is currently at Crossroads School for Science and Arts in Los Angeles. She serves as a board member for the nonprofit organization Unexpected Artistry, where they seek to use the arts as a platform for leading social justice education. She is founder of Paint For Peace, where she uses her art of calligraphy to create awareness and auction art to fundraise for middle eastern charities in Palestine, Syria, and Yemen.

Sarah Eleid has a Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience and has just completed her Master’s in Emancipatory Education from San Jose State University. She is currently a science teacher at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences and is also the Upper School Diversity, Equity and Justice Coordinator. She works with the nonprofit Banat Collective, which publishes emerging Arab women authors, and is also an educational consultant on DEIJB with the California Teacher Development Collaborative.