Meet the Team

  • Basma Rayess

    Executive Director

    Basma thrives on helping others. Beginning her career as a TV presenter in Kuwait, then dabbling for a couple of years in the financial investment industry in New York, she decided to re-evaluate the direction her career was taking. She craved a life more rewarding, not just for herself, but also for others. In 1995 the Kuwait-America Foundation (KAF), the founding and primary sponsor of the Do the Write Thing Challenge (DTWT), offered Basma the opportunity to create and implement programs, at a local and global level, that would help provide a safer community for future generations. For the past 25 years, through DTWT, Basma and her team at KAF have successfully provided over 2.5 million US middle school students an outlet to examine the impact of violence on their lives and communicating solutions to changing the culture of violence that plagues their communities. Basma attended the University of Kent in England, graduating with an honors degree in Politics and International Relations, then went on to earn a Master's Degree in Public Communication from The American University in Washington, DC. After a 17-year break in academia, Basma received a graduate degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University.

  • Shereen Abdel-Nabi

    Director of Programs

    Shereen Abdel-Nabi is the Director of Programs with the Kuwait-America Foundation, where she is responsible for programs initiated or supported by the organization, including philanthropic endeavors and community partnerships. 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 in Washington, D.C.

    Currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology from American University, Shereen holds an MA in Arab Studies with a focus on women and gender from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a BA in Foreign Affairs and Middle East Studies with a minor in Arabic from the University of Virginia. She is fluent in Arabic and while at Georgetown, was awarded a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship to study Hebrew.

    She is also a mother of two – her 11-year old son, Jad, and her 3-year old cavapoo, Fairouz.

  • Amber Pulley Moyer

    Program Director

    Amber 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 the 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 university students at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has a wealth of knowledge about DTWT because she has served in so many capacities; Utah Chair, Utah Coordinator, NCSV Volunteer and is now thrilled to be working full time as the Program Director of the National Campaign to Stop Violence.

  • Mohammad Alaswadi

    Program Manager

    Mohammad Alaswadi serves as Program Manager at the Kuwait-America

    Foundation. In his position, Mohammad exhibits a strong aptitude for developing strategic solutions and optimizing office processes to achieve desired outcomes - skills honed by his extensive background in industrial design. His philosophy: complex problems require simple solutions.

    Mohammad is highly enthusiastic about being a part of an organization that positively impacts communities nationwide, a passion that he brings to his job each day. Additionally, he takes immense pride in being a long-time resident of Washington, DC, a city he enjoys regulalry cruising by bike.

  • Derek Farino

    Program Associate

    Derek Farino is currently an associate at the Kuwait America Foundation and a creative program specialist for the National Campaign to Stop Violence. He has been working for this organization since 2018. Having first-hand experience with violence and trauma he uses his degree in fine arts to promote happy and healthy lived experiences for all.

  • Danyah Alwazir

    Digital Media Strategist

    Danyah holds a Master’s degree from VCU 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.

    As the Digital Media Strategist, she believes in amplifying the youths’ voice and using social media as a tool to let the student ambassadors’ voices be heard!

Contact us.

info@dtwt.org
(800) 256-0235

2021 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036