Faculty & Staff
Bothaina Ali
Arabic and Quran
Mrs. Bothaina Ali has been at Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2005, teaching Quran and Arabic to all grade levels. In addition to teaching Quran and Arabic to all grade levels at NISL, she teaches on the weekends at the Guiding Light Weekend School. She completed her teaching degree in Jerusalem, Palestine and earned certification to teach Arabic. In addition to various annual trainings that she participates in, Mrs. Ali has attended the STARTALK Arabic Language Training Program in Washington State University and attends professional development sessions for Arabic and Quran teachers at ISNA Education Forum. Mrs. Ali was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2007-2008, 2011-2012, and 2014-2015 school years. She strives to enable our students to read Quran in Arabic with Tajweed and deepen their understanding Quran, to acquire a set of moral values on which to base his/her own behavior, to develop tolerance and respect for others, to behave as a responsible and well balanced people in our society, and to also develop awareness of the spiritual aspects of prayer and worship. Mrs. Ali served as the school coordinator for Islamic events with other Islamic Schools such as the Arabic Spelling Bee, Islamic Studies Quick Recall, and Quran Recitation Competition. She also served as a judge at the Quran Recitation Competition in May 2012. Mrs. Ali's first passion is her family, her two children who are now adults, and her grandchildren. Her second passion is teaching here at Nur Islamic School of Louisville.
Wisal Alabdalla
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies
Mrs. Wisal Alabdalla joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015. Mrs. Alabdalla is originally from Palestine and studied English at Islamic Society College in Jordan. She completed an advanced course of Tajweed and has been teaching Tajweed lessons to students since 1999. Mrs. Alabdalla’s experience includes teaching Quran and Islamic Studies from PreK to 9th grade for four years. During this time, she organized competitions on Qur'an, Hadeeth, and Names of Allah. She often serves as the Quran and Arabic Spelling Bee judge and organizes school-wide events such as Arabic Heritage Day. Outside of school, Mrs. Alabdalla loves to organize activities for Muslim youth such as summer camps, Itikaf for girls, and celebrations to welcome new Muslimahs into the community. Mrs. Alabdalla believes that teaching students Islamic Studies should be practical and spiritual, and the content should be taught through interactive and hands-on activities to draw our children closer to Allah, to make them love and be proud of being Muslim, and practice to be a role model and an effective leader. Mrs. Alabdalla enjoys spending time with her family as well as listening to spiritual lectures and nasheeds.
Safa Obaid
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies
Ms. Safa Obaid joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2017. Mrs. Obaid is originally from Palestine. She received her Bachelor’s degee in English from Arwa University in Yemen and attained a diploma in Management. Mrs. Obaid is currently teaching Islamic Studies, Arabic, and Quran. Mrs. Obaid has attended professional development sessions at ISNA Education Forum for several years, focusing on teaching Qur’an and Tajweed. When not at school, Mrs. Obaid enjoys spending time with her family.
Kari Hedegard
Middle School Language Arts
Mrs. Kari Hedegard currently teaches Language Arts to middle school students at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. She has been teaching for 21 years. Teaching is the joy of her life. Her experience includes teaching all grade levels from kindergarten to 9th grade. She has worked as a kindergarten teacher, special education teacher at the Kentucky School for the Blind, Math and Reading interventionist, elementary teacher in grades 1-5, and middle school Science and Language Arts. She attended University of Louisville and Indiana University Southeast. While attending Indiana University Southeast, she worked at the University’s Multicultural Center and traveled to schools all over Indiana and Kentucky leading professional development workshops for teachers on how to implement multicultural lessons into their daily lessons. In the various schools she has taught at she has been on committees for Quick Recall, Governor’s Cup, English and Arabic Spelling Bee, Site Based Decision Making, School Discipline Committee, and has been in charge of the Science Fair and Photography Club. Mrs. Hedegard looks forward to many years of offering her experience to students at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. Teaching is her passion but when she is not teaching, she is reading, cooking, canning fruits and vegetables, making jams and jellies, playing in her gardens- both vegetable and flower, going to auctions to buy antiques, and taking her dogs hiking. She also enjoys making candles, potpourri, and stepping stones. She’s taught in four different districts, but teaching at Nur Islamic School of Louisville has been her favorite experience.
Amel Elloumi
Middle School Social Studies and Fine Arts
Mrs. Amel Elloumi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2018 as a substitute teacher and shortly accepted a full-time position teaching Social Studies to middle school students. Originally, she is from Tunisia, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in History from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Tunis (FSHST) and has worked towards her Master’s in Archeology. Mrs. Elloumi has also obtained certification in Computer Sciences. After receiving her Certificate of Aptitude for Secondary School Teachers (CAPES) and spending a year of training, she embarked on her passion of teaching history and geography to middle school students for 10 years before relocating to the United States with her husband. She speaks many languages including Arabic, French and English. In addition to her passion of teaching, she is also very passionate about archaology. He goal is to raise the future generation to be positive Muslims with good character.
Dr. Ali Alsaadi
Middle School Math and Science
Dr. Ali Alsaadi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2020 as a middle school Math and Science teacher. He received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Science in Malaysia (USM) in 2013. In 2015, he joined as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Mobile Information Networks and Distributed System Lab, Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Louisville. He received his Kentucky Teaching Certification in 2018 and taught Math in Newburg Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to joining NISL, Dr. Alsaadi taught Math and Science for 7 years to various levels ranging from middle school to university level and served as the Louisville and State Regional Science and Engineering Fair mentor for NISL students. He has also served as a judge for the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
Wardah Khizar
Fourth/Fifth Grade
Mrs. Wardah Khizar has been with Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2018 and currently teaches Math, Science, and Social Studies. She is originally from Pakistan. She has a Master’s in Education from University of Education in Pakistan and has taught there for several years before moving to the United States in 2011. In 2018, she decided to pursue her career in teaching again because she is passionate about education and joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville as a 4th and 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Khizar also loves to travel, hike, and participate in various outdoor activities.
Amani Aljalab
Second/Third Grade
Mrs. Amani Aljalab has been working at Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2016. Mrs. Aljalab has a Bachelor's degree in English Literature as well as a diploma of Educational Qualification. She has been working as a teacher for 8 years teaching various grade levels. Mrs. Amani Aljalab was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2019-2020 school year. She has been married for 5 years and has two boys who attend the Early Childhood Center at NISL. Mrs. Aljalab believes that children are a gift and possess diverse talents and capabilities. Her passion for teaching began as a mother when her 2 sons opened her eyes to the rewarding life of working with young children. She finds joy in witnessing a child learn something new, knowing she was the main influence in their doing so. NISL is such a wonderful place to her and she loves being a part of such a welcoming community. She looks forward to many more years at Nur Islamic School of Louisville!
April Bracewell
Second/Third Grade
Mrs. April Bracewell joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2016. She began her college education at the University of Louisville and completed her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education at Indiana University Southeast in 2006. She has taught in many different settings and positions, from public schools to private, and even home-school. When she was 21 years old she started working as a teacher’s assistant at Pine View Elementary in New Albany, and gradually worked her way up by subbing, tutoring, and eventually teaching. Thus far in her career, she has taught every elementary grade level, whether it was as a home-room teacher or a special areas teacher. Prior to joining NISL, she has worked with children for 13 years. Mrs. Bracewell was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2018-2019 school year. She is a mother to two children. Her son is a students at a local university and her daughter is in elementary school. She currently resides in Shively, which is where she has lived all of her life, with the exception of 6 years, when she lived in New Albany, Indiana. April has always wanted to teach. It is her passion and belief that it is her calling in life, other than to be a mother. She is also a talented artist who enjoys creating artwork as a hobby as well as teaching fine arts.
Mindy Riley
First Grade
Mrs. Mindy Riley joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015. She has lived in the Louisville area all her life. She received her Bachelors Degree in American Sign Language Interpreting in 2007 from Eastern Kentucky University and her Master's of Arts in Teaching from Bellarmine University in 2013. Mrs. Riley has worked in the Jefferson County Public School system for six years until joining NISL. By being in the classroom setting she realized she needed to follow a life-long dream and become an elementary teacher. Mrs. Riley believes that each child has the ability to accomplish anything he/she puts their mind to. Hard work and encouragement goes hand in hand to achieving success in life. She is a wife and a mother to a baby girl who also attends the Early Childhood Center at NISL.
Nour Aljalab
Kindergarten
Mrs. Nour Aljalab holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She has taught in different settings and positions which included 3 years as an English teacher for various middle and elementary schools and 2 years as Bilingual Associate Instructor in Jefferson County Public Schools. Mrs. Aljalab is a mother of a 4-year-old girl and a 15-month old boy who also attend the Early Childhood Center at NISL. Her children mean the world to her. She loves her job and believes in the power of education. Mrs. Aljalab’s goal is to make sure that each child receives the best care and love that they all deserve. When she is not at school, she loves spending time with her family. One of her favorite activities is family game night. She looks forward to teaching students to live a happy and healthy life.
Sarah Young
Reading Intervention Specialist
Mrs. Sara Young is the Title I Reading teacher at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. She initially joined NISL in 2009. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at Bellarmine University and her Master’s degree at Indiana University Southeast. She’s a mother to eleven children, ranging in age from 24 to 45. This is her twentieth year working with students as a Title I teacher. Mrs. Young believes children learn best when they feel good about themselves. In class, Mrs. Young focuses on celebrating what students already know while addressing the concepts that may challenge them in the classroom.
Early Childhood Center Faculty
Oumayma Bidou
Pre-K 4 Teacher
Mrs. Oumayma Bidou joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2019. Mrs. Bidou is from Morocco where she taught preschool for 2 years before moving to the United States. She is also currently attending Jefferson Community College. Mrs. Bidou loves to be a part of the Early Childhood Center team and spending time with her son.
Sarah Mahdhi
Pre-K 3 Teacher
Mrs. Sarah Madhdi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015 as an Early Childhood teacher. She has a diploma in Math and Science from Iraq. She was also the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award in 2019-2020 school year. Mrs. Mahdi loves and treats each of her students as her own.
Raziya Akhmedova
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Mrs. Raziya Akhmedova joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2012. She is originally from Russia and speaks several languages including Russian and Turkish. Mrs. Akhmedova obtained her Child Development Associate credential in 2015. She also was the recipient of the ECC Teacher of the Year award in 2016. She is a proud mother of two boys and one girl who also attend NISL and loves to spend time with them. She loves being a part of the Early Childhood Center team at NISL.
Suaad Al-Jorani
Infant and Toddler Teacher
Mrs. Suaad Al-Jorani joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2018 as an Early Childhood teacher. Her passion is teaching very young children and she is currently teaching infants and toddlers. Mrs. Al-Jorani is a mother to three boys and one girl. She loves to spend time at home with her family when not at school.
Jamila Hamid
Head Cook
Mrs. Jamila Hamid has been working at NISL since 2007. Mrs. Hamid has a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies as well as in Language Arts. She also enjoys cooking Iftar for the Guiding Light Center during the month of Ramadan. Mrs. Hamid's passion is food and she she loves to cook and feed people. She recently achieved her life-long dream of having a catering company that she runs part time when not cooking for our school.
Arabic and Quran
Mrs. Bothaina Ali has been at Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2005, teaching Quran and Arabic to all grade levels. In addition to teaching Quran and Arabic to all grade levels at NISL, she teaches on the weekends at the Guiding Light Weekend School. She completed her teaching degree in Jerusalem, Palestine and earned certification to teach Arabic. In addition to various annual trainings that she participates in, Mrs. Ali has attended the STARTALK Arabic Language Training Program in Washington State University and attends professional development sessions for Arabic and Quran teachers at ISNA Education Forum. Mrs. Ali was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2007-2008, 2011-2012, and 2014-2015 school years. She strives to enable our students to read Quran in Arabic with Tajweed and deepen their understanding Quran, to acquire a set of moral values on which to base his/her own behavior, to develop tolerance and respect for others, to behave as a responsible and well balanced people in our society, and to also develop awareness of the spiritual aspects of prayer and worship. Mrs. Ali served as the school coordinator for Islamic events with other Islamic Schools such as the Arabic Spelling Bee, Islamic Studies Quick Recall, and Quran Recitation Competition. She also served as a judge at the Quran Recitation Competition in May 2012. Mrs. Ali's first passion is her family, her two children who are now adults, and her grandchildren. Her second passion is teaching here at Nur Islamic School of Louisville.
Wisal Alabdalla
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies
Mrs. Wisal Alabdalla joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015. Mrs. Alabdalla is originally from Palestine and studied English at Islamic Society College in Jordan. She completed an advanced course of Tajweed and has been teaching Tajweed lessons to students since 1999. Mrs. Alabdalla’s experience includes teaching Quran and Islamic Studies from PreK to 9th grade for four years. During this time, she organized competitions on Qur'an, Hadeeth, and Names of Allah. She often serves as the Quran and Arabic Spelling Bee judge and organizes school-wide events such as Arabic Heritage Day. Outside of school, Mrs. Alabdalla loves to organize activities for Muslim youth such as summer camps, Itikaf for girls, and celebrations to welcome new Muslimahs into the community. Mrs. Alabdalla believes that teaching students Islamic Studies should be practical and spiritual, and the content should be taught through interactive and hands-on activities to draw our children closer to Allah, to make them love and be proud of being Muslim, and practice to be a role model and an effective leader. Mrs. Alabdalla enjoys spending time with her family as well as listening to spiritual lectures and nasheeds.
Safa Obaid
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies
Ms. Safa Obaid joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2017. Mrs. Obaid is originally from Palestine. She received her Bachelor’s degee in English from Arwa University in Yemen and attained a diploma in Management. Mrs. Obaid is currently teaching Islamic Studies, Arabic, and Quran. Mrs. Obaid has attended professional development sessions at ISNA Education Forum for several years, focusing on teaching Qur’an and Tajweed. When not at school, Mrs. Obaid enjoys spending time with her family.
Kari Hedegard
Middle School Language Arts
Mrs. Kari Hedegard currently teaches Language Arts to middle school students at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. She has been teaching for 21 years. Teaching is the joy of her life. Her experience includes teaching all grade levels from kindergarten to 9th grade. She has worked as a kindergarten teacher, special education teacher at the Kentucky School for the Blind, Math and Reading interventionist, elementary teacher in grades 1-5, and middle school Science and Language Arts. She attended University of Louisville and Indiana University Southeast. While attending Indiana University Southeast, she worked at the University’s Multicultural Center and traveled to schools all over Indiana and Kentucky leading professional development workshops for teachers on how to implement multicultural lessons into their daily lessons. In the various schools she has taught at she has been on committees for Quick Recall, Governor’s Cup, English and Arabic Spelling Bee, Site Based Decision Making, School Discipline Committee, and has been in charge of the Science Fair and Photography Club. Mrs. Hedegard looks forward to many years of offering her experience to students at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. Teaching is her passion but when she is not teaching, she is reading, cooking, canning fruits and vegetables, making jams and jellies, playing in her gardens- both vegetable and flower, going to auctions to buy antiques, and taking her dogs hiking. She also enjoys making candles, potpourri, and stepping stones. She’s taught in four different districts, but teaching at Nur Islamic School of Louisville has been her favorite experience.
Amel Elloumi
Middle School Social Studies and Fine Arts
Mrs. Amel Elloumi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2018 as a substitute teacher and shortly accepted a full-time position teaching Social Studies to middle school students. Originally, she is from Tunisia, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in History from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Tunis (FSHST) and has worked towards her Master’s in Archeology. Mrs. Elloumi has also obtained certification in Computer Sciences. After receiving her Certificate of Aptitude for Secondary School Teachers (CAPES) and spending a year of training, she embarked on her passion of teaching history and geography to middle school students for 10 years before relocating to the United States with her husband. She speaks many languages including Arabic, French and English. In addition to her passion of teaching, she is also very passionate about archaology. He goal is to raise the future generation to be positive Muslims with good character.
Dr. Ali Alsaadi
Middle School Math and Science
Dr. Ali Alsaadi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2020 as a middle school Math and Science teacher. He received his Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Science in Malaysia (USM) in 2013. In 2015, he joined as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Mobile Information Networks and Distributed System Lab, Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Louisville. He received his Kentucky Teaching Certification in 2018 and taught Math in Newburg Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to joining NISL, Dr. Alsaadi taught Math and Science for 7 years to various levels ranging from middle school to university level and served as the Louisville and State Regional Science and Engineering Fair mentor for NISL students. He has also served as a judge for the Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair.
Wardah Khizar
Fourth/Fifth Grade
Mrs. Wardah Khizar has been with Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2018 and currently teaches Math, Science, and Social Studies. She is originally from Pakistan. She has a Master’s in Education from University of Education in Pakistan and has taught there for several years before moving to the United States in 2011. In 2018, she decided to pursue her career in teaching again because she is passionate about education and joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville as a 4th and 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Khizar also loves to travel, hike, and participate in various outdoor activities.
Amani Aljalab
Second/Third Grade
Mrs. Amani Aljalab has been working at Nur Islamic School of Louisville since 2016. Mrs. Aljalab has a Bachelor's degree in English Literature as well as a diploma of Educational Qualification. She has been working as a teacher for 8 years teaching various grade levels. Mrs. Amani Aljalab was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2019-2020 school year. She has been married for 5 years and has two boys who attend the Early Childhood Center at NISL. Mrs. Aljalab believes that children are a gift and possess diverse talents and capabilities. Her passion for teaching began as a mother when her 2 sons opened her eyes to the rewarding life of working with young children. She finds joy in witnessing a child learn something new, knowing she was the main influence in their doing so. NISL is such a wonderful place to her and she loves being a part of such a welcoming community. She looks forward to many more years at Nur Islamic School of Louisville!
April Bracewell
Second/Third Grade
Mrs. April Bracewell joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2016. She began her college education at the University of Louisville and completed her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education at Indiana University Southeast in 2006. She has taught in many different settings and positions, from public schools to private, and even home-school. When she was 21 years old she started working as a teacher’s assistant at Pine View Elementary in New Albany, and gradually worked her way up by subbing, tutoring, and eventually teaching. Thus far in her career, she has taught every elementary grade level, whether it was as a home-room teacher or a special areas teacher. Prior to joining NISL, she has worked with children for 13 years. Mrs. Bracewell was the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for the 2018-2019 school year. She is a mother to two children. Her son is a students at a local university and her daughter is in elementary school. She currently resides in Shively, which is where she has lived all of her life, with the exception of 6 years, when she lived in New Albany, Indiana. April has always wanted to teach. It is her passion and belief that it is her calling in life, other than to be a mother. She is also a talented artist who enjoys creating artwork as a hobby as well as teaching fine arts.
Mindy Riley
First Grade
Mrs. Mindy Riley joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015. She has lived in the Louisville area all her life. She received her Bachelors Degree in American Sign Language Interpreting in 2007 from Eastern Kentucky University and her Master's of Arts in Teaching from Bellarmine University in 2013. Mrs. Riley has worked in the Jefferson County Public School system for six years until joining NISL. By being in the classroom setting she realized she needed to follow a life-long dream and become an elementary teacher. Mrs. Riley believes that each child has the ability to accomplish anything he/she puts their mind to. Hard work and encouragement goes hand in hand to achieving success in life. She is a wife and a mother to a baby girl who also attends the Early Childhood Center at NISL.
Nour Aljalab
Kindergarten
Mrs. Nour Aljalab holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She has taught in different settings and positions which included 3 years as an English teacher for various middle and elementary schools and 2 years as Bilingual Associate Instructor in Jefferson County Public Schools. Mrs. Aljalab is a mother of a 4-year-old girl and a 15-month old boy who also attend the Early Childhood Center at NISL. Her children mean the world to her. She loves her job and believes in the power of education. Mrs. Aljalab’s goal is to make sure that each child receives the best care and love that they all deserve. When she is not at school, she loves spending time with her family. One of her favorite activities is family game night. She looks forward to teaching students to live a happy and healthy life.
Sarah Young
Reading Intervention Specialist
Mrs. Sara Young is the Title I Reading teacher at Nur Islamic School of Louisville. She initially joined NISL in 2009. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at Bellarmine University and her Master’s degree at Indiana University Southeast. She’s a mother to eleven children, ranging in age from 24 to 45. This is her twentieth year working with students as a Title I teacher. Mrs. Young believes children learn best when they feel good about themselves. In class, Mrs. Young focuses on celebrating what students already know while addressing the concepts that may challenge them in the classroom.
Early Childhood Center Faculty
Oumayma Bidou
Pre-K 4 Teacher
Mrs. Oumayma Bidou joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2019. Mrs. Bidou is from Morocco where she taught preschool for 2 years before moving to the United States. She is also currently attending Jefferson Community College. Mrs. Bidou loves to be a part of the Early Childhood Center team and spending time with her son.
Sarah Mahdhi
Pre-K 3 Teacher
Mrs. Sarah Madhdi joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2015 as an Early Childhood teacher. She has a diploma in Math and Science from Iraq. She was also the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award in 2019-2020 school year. Mrs. Mahdi loves and treats each of her students as her own.
Raziya Akhmedova
Pre-K 2 Teacher
Mrs. Raziya Akhmedova joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2012. She is originally from Russia and speaks several languages including Russian and Turkish. Mrs. Akhmedova obtained her Child Development Associate credential in 2015. She also was the recipient of the ECC Teacher of the Year award in 2016. She is a proud mother of two boys and one girl who also attend NISL and loves to spend time with them. She loves being a part of the Early Childhood Center team at NISL.
Suaad Al-Jorani
Infant and Toddler Teacher
Mrs. Suaad Al-Jorani joined Nur Islamic School of Louisville in 2018 as an Early Childhood teacher. Her passion is teaching very young children and she is currently teaching infants and toddlers. Mrs. Al-Jorani is a mother to three boys and one girl. She loves to spend time at home with her family when not at school.
Jamila Hamid
Head Cook
Mrs. Jamila Hamid has been working at NISL since 2007. Mrs. Hamid has a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies as well as in Language Arts. She also enjoys cooking Iftar for the Guiding Light Center during the month of Ramadan. Mrs. Hamid's passion is food and she she loves to cook and feed people. She recently achieved her life-long dream of having a catering company that she runs part time when not cooking for our school.