Executive Director
After completing her undergraduate studies in Politics and International Relations from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, Basma joined the European Commission in Brussels as a stagiaire, interning with the Directorate General for Energy. Following this, she moved to Kuwait where she pursued a career as a television host and writer for a regional variety program. Basma’s successful media career was abruptly interrupted by the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, during which she and her family remained in Kuwait until the end of the war in 1991.

Upon her return to Washington, DC in the early nineties, Basma joined the Kuwait-America Foundation. In addition to obtaining her Bachelor of Social Science degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Kent in England, she has received two Master of Arts degrees; one in Public Communication from American University in Washington, DC, and the other in Arab Studies from Georgetown University.

Director of Programs
Shereen Abdel-Nabi is Program Director at the Kuwait-America Foundation, where she is responsible for programs initiated or supported by KAF, including philanthropic endeavors and community outreach. She joined KAF in 2005, having spent several years working in the non-profit sector, including two summers as an intern for “Do the Write Thing’s” National Recognition Week. Shereen is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology from American University,

She is most importantly a mother of two – her 13 year old son, Jad, and her 5 year old Cavapoo, Fairouz. You are likely to meet both during your stay in Washington!

Outreach Coordinator
Lisa Cone has been the Program Director of the National Campaign to Stop Violence for the past fourteen years. She is a native to WashingtonD.C. and she and her husband raised their six children in the Washington area. With her children and grandchildren now spread across the country, her out of office time is spent visiting and helping her expanding family. Her other passion is creating beautiful spaces out of neglected homes. After remodeling an historic carriage house on Capitol Hill, she turned her attention this year to a home in Nashville that was a true fixer upper. Prior to joining NCSV, Lisa served in various school, church and community organizations where she volunteered her time and was responsible for managing other volunteers. Lisa’s greatest enjoyment is working with others who give of their time because of their passion for a cause.

Program Director
Amber Pulley Moyer learned about the DtWT program while working as the Program Coordinator for the Kuwait-America Foundation in 2002. Prior to working for the foundation, she worked as Marketing Director for ESPN and local sports affiliates in Utah. In 2001 Amber joined Salt Lake Organizing Committee to work as an event planner for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Village. After a decade of public relations work, she switched professions to become an educator because her volunteer work in classrooms was so fulfilling. She has taught in a Title I school with over 30 languages spoken and had the privilege of teaching 3rd, 5th, 6th grade as well as in the Education department at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Program Coordinator
Mohammad holds a degree in Industrial Design and brings years of experience and skills to the KAF and NCSV. His real specialty is fixing things with duct tape. His favorite part of DtWT is meeting the young scholars and reading their work. Always keep writing!

Program Associate
Derek Farino was born and raised in Northern Virginia. This year is his sixth year working for the National Campaign to Stop Violence.

Derek enjoys implementing his background in theater and art to the everyday needs of the organization. In his free time, Derek enjoys all things pizza and dabbling in art projects such as illustration, pottery, and song writing.

Digital Media Director
From an early age Rooj was drawn to photography and film, using her summers during middle and high school to write, produce and create short films with her cousins. In 2018, Rooj finally decided to pursue her career as a filmmaker and moved to NYC where she received her MFA in documentary filmmaking.

Since then, Rooj has worked in a variety of capacities in film production, helping to tell high quality branded stories for Google, Starbucks, Vans, UNICEF, HIAS and more. At DtWT, Rooj assists with managing DtWTs digital and social media.

When Rooj is not busy producing, you can find her hanging with her new dog, Baldwin and kindling her enthusiasm for herbs.

Jenna holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she concentrated in gender and women in the Arab World. Before beginning her graduate studies, she was a Fulbright fellow in Bahrain and a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Georgia. She currently works as a Program Manager in the international development sector. Jenna has worked with KAF/NCSV every summer for the last 9 years, and is so excited to meet this year’s DtWT National Ambassadors. In her free time she enjoys basketball, puzzles, music, and travel.

After joining DtWT back in 2018, Iman is returning for her 7th summer. In that time, she’s gone to university to study Political Science with an exchange program abroad in Essex, UK. She ended up working in Washington DC and often pops into the NCSV office to say hello.

When she’s not working she tries to travel, listen to music, do photography, or take very long naps. You’ll also find Iman is playing with her Labrador Retriever named Rhea. Her favorite show is currently Bridgerton, so feel free to talk to her about it.

Her favorite part about working at DtWT is getting to meet the National Ambassadors and seeing them develop and create new bonds with each other.

Jose Wray recently graduated from Santa Clara University where he majored in Political Science and Religious Studies. At Santa Clara, Wray was a member of the rowing team. He served as a team captain in his junior and senior seasons. Wray grew up in the D.C. metropolitan area and is excited to be back and working with the NCSV. He is looking forward to being a part of his third National Recognition Week in July and learning from the student ambassadors and their experiences.

Hannah Ross has a passion for working and connecting with others. Growing up right outside of Washington DC, she took an interest in learning about political and social issues, and became a strong advocate for social justice. Hannah began working with the National Campaign to Stop Violence in 2017, and returned every following summer while she attended East Carolina University. She was a 4-year Division I Lacrosse student-athlete, and graduated from ECU in May of 2021 with double-majors in Communication and Political Science. While still being part of the DtWT family, Hannah now works full time at a cybersecurity firm in Reston, VA. During her free time she enjoys exploring DC museums and restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her dog, Winnie.

Douglas Christensen is an Advocacy Associate at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP). He holds an MA in Arab Studies from Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and a BA in Government with minors in Arabic and Mathematics from St. Lawrence University. Prior to joining TIMEP, he was the Liaison for US Government Affairs at Arab Center Washington DC as well as a research intern with the State Department's Bureau of Human Rights, Democracy, and Labor. He has published numerous policy papers with Arab Center Washington DC and has published an academic article in the journal Protest.

Shahad Alhusain holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from McMaster University. Shahad began working with KAF last year after moving to the DMV from Canada. She is looking forward to her second National Recognition Week and connecting with this year’s DtWT student ambassadors!

Jyoti Gandhi Laverack is a rising senior at Vanderbilt University and NYC Posse Scholar pursuing a major in Law, History and Society and a minor in African American Diaspora studies. She has spearheaded initiatives both in her community in both New York City and Nashville, such as organizing live music events featuring women of color artists, co-founding the Multi-Ethnic Student Union at Vanderbilt dedicated to honoring the experiences of multiethnic students on campus and has 4+ years of experience working with young people of varied ages and backgrounds. Jyoti spent the second semester of her junior year studying abroad in Paris and is interested in studying legacies of international relations and colonialism through art, literature and hands-on experiences with local community members. She plans to pursue a career in law or public policy with the goal of reforming resources and support for historically underrepresented communities.

Easton Smith has been an intern with Do the Write Thing since May 2024. He is currently finishing up his B.S. in Health, Society, and Policy and a minor in Psychology from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Growing up in a medical family, he has always had an interest in helping those around him and found an interest in public health initiatives and health policy while in school and hopes to find a future career in a related field and eventually receive an MPH.

Easton also has an extensive background in media relations and brand oversight. Easton has worked with several starting and developing media groups at the University of Utah to gain a campus wide presence and following, including the university radio station, which he helped to restart following their shutdown during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

During his free time, Easton is a big movie buff and loves to be outside. You can usually find him on a hike, in the gym, or traveling to new places. (edited)

Danyah holds a Master’s degree in Early Elementary Education and brings over a decade of experience as an educator and private tutor working across cities and countries from Virginia to Spain to Saudi Arabia. She is passionate about using storytelling as a framework and tool to bring the tapestry of her students lives and imagination to life. Alongside her work with children, Danyah channels her creativity into freelance digital media projects for a diverse clientele. In her free time, she finds joy in reading, photography, bullet journaling, hiking, and video games. Danyah is looking forward to participating in her first National Recognition Week and creating bonds and connections with the DtWT Student Ambassadors.

Nino Al-Sabah is the youngest member of our summer staff and this is his second year as an intern with Do the Write Thing. He has 3 older brothers and is going into his junior year of high school at St. Albans School in Washington D.C. In his free time, Nino enjoys playing sports, listening to music, and spending time with friends among many other things. He is looking forward to meeting all of this year’s National Ambassadors.