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Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani, assistant dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness at Moraine Valley, is the recipient of the 2026 Trailblazer Award from the Muslim Bar Association (MBA) of Chicago.
Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani, assistant dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness at Moraine Valley Community College, was named the recipient of the 2026 Trailblazer Award from the Muslim Bar Association (MBA) of Chicago. She received her award at the Eid dinner reception on June 5.
“As someone who is not a lawyer, but who has much respect for those serving our community — whether through their work in law or as educators — I am humbled and honored to be recognized,” Shoman-Dajani said. The MBA of Chicago is a service-oriented organization that applauds those who give their professional and personal time to serve the community.
Naheda Zayyad, a prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and a member of the board of directors for the MBA of Chicago, noted she nominated Shoman-Dajani because of her profound impact in the community.
“Nina has a plethora of work in the educational field, but more so she has been a mentor to people in the Arab American community for as long as I can remember. I can’t think of one person who has made contact with Nina who doesn’t have a kind word to say about her,” Zayyad said. “She has advocated very strongly as an educator, as a mentor and has done a lot of community engagement, not just with the students but professionals in the community. She is such a leader, and this award is well deserved.”
Shoman-Dajani’s community work includes serving as executive director of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival and previously on boards for a refugee resettlement organization and the Association of Arab American Studies. She has published reports on the Arab American Muslim community, conducted research on Arab American college students and served on scholarship committees at the mosque in Orland Park.
She began her tenure at Moraine Valley 16 years ago as an English Language Learner specialist, before becoming coordinator of English as a Second Language (ESL) Instruction, Curriculum and Transition, and then manager of Transition and ESL. Her professional experience also includes several years as an adjunct instructor at Moraine Valley, Saint Xavier University and the University of Illinois Chicago. In addition, Shoman-Dajani was the recipient of Moraine Valley’s 2025 Dr. Vernon O. Crawley Leadership Award, recognizing her excellence in leadership.
Sara Suleiman, MBA of Chicago president, called Shoman-Dajani “an inspiration to all” whose outstanding achievements and contributions to the community have not gone unnoticed. She noted that the award is a testament to Shoman-Dajani’s exceptional skills and positive impact on the community.
For news media inquiries, contact Madisson Younglove, assistant director of Communications at Moraine Valley, at (708) 974-5281 or younglovem2@morainevalley.edu.
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