A Moraine Valley Community College administrator is being recognized for what colleagues describe as years of steady mentorship, community work and leadership across education and cultural spaces.
Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani, assistant dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness at Moraine Valley Community College, received the 2026 Trailblazer Award from the Muslim Bar Association (MBA) of Chicago during an Eid dinner reception held June 5.
The award typically goes to individuals who have made a meaningful impact through service to the community, even if their careers are outside the legal field.
For Shoman-Dajani, the recognition came as something she said she deeply appreciated, especially coming from an organization made up largely of attorneys and legal professionals.
“As someone who is not a lawyer, but who has much respect for those serving our community… I am humbled and honored,” she said.
Those who nominated her say the honor reflects work that has been building for years.
Naheda Zayyad, a prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and a board member of the MBA of Chicago, said she nominated Shoman-Dajani because of her lasting impact on students and the broader Arab American community.
Zayyad described her as someone who shows up consistently for others, especially students and young professionals who are looking for guidance. She said Shoman-Dajani has a reputation for being both approachable and deeply committed to mentorship.
Outside of her role at Moraine Valley, Shoman-Dajani has also been active in community and cultural work. She previously served as executive director of the Chicago Palestine Film Festival and has worked with organizations focused on refugee resettlement and Arab American studies.
Her academic work includes research on Arab American Muslim communities and the experiences of Arab American college students. She has also served on scholarship committees at a mosque in Orland Park.
Shoman-Dajani joined Moraine Valley Community College 16 years ago as an English Language Learner specialist and gradually moved into leadership roles in ESL instruction and curriculum development. She has also taught at Saint Xavier University and the University of Illinois Chicago.
In 2025, she received Moraine Valley’s Dr. Vernon O. Crawley Leadership Award, another nod to her work within the college.
MBA of Chicago President Sara Suleiman said the award reflects the kind of impact that can’t always be measured on paper, but is clearly felt by the people she has worked with over the years.