Emerging leaders

Take on a life-changing project as part of our Emerging Leaders Fellowship

We build tomorrow’s leaders today. Through our six-month fellowship, we offer young Afghan Americans the opportunity to build transformative relationships while learning how to organize to build resilient communities for a lasting impact.

Each participant receives a stipend to support their work on community projects under the mentorship and guidance of AFBT.

2024-2025 Leadership Cohort & Projects

Medina Danish

Medina is an incoming junior at the University of Berkeley, California as a major in Global Studies with a concentration in Peace & Conflict in the Middle East, and minoring in Public Policy. Formerly, she was an intern with Project ANAR. In the past, led by her mother’s conviction, she has volunteered for Syrian refugees as well as for newly arrived Afghan children. She plans to work in law and foreign policy and to continue to serve our Afghan community, professionally and otherwise.
Nasrin Nawa

Nasrin Nawa is a former senior BBC journalist in Afghanistan and currently serves as a Communications Specialist for Nebraska Extension, IANR, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In this role, she develops & deploys strategic communication and PR plans for the Dean's Office of Extension and spearheads marketing and communications efforts within 83 county offices. Nasrin's expertise is grounded in a master's degree in Journalism & Mass Communications, specializing in integrated media communications. A Fulbright alumna who graduated in 2022, Nasrin has also contributed voluntarily to the UNL Fulbright Students Association.
Sahil Rustami

Sahil Rustami is an Afghan-American screenwriter based in Los Angeles and New York. Having graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Film & Television Production, Sahil has spent a lot of time both on sets and writing. He was selected as one of four writers to obtain a film grant for his senior thesis, “Sultana,” which was the first ever USC-backed film to feature a Muslim lead. Sahil is drawn to dramedies and transportive science fiction narratives that have beating hearts at their centers and amplify voices that have so often been silenced in the media.
Bibi Bostani

BiBi is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer. A graduate of Columbia University with a background in architecture, she has developed a diverse understanding of design, which she has explored through her fashion brand, “BIBI STAR.” As a self-taught artist, she has been able to bring a fresh perspective, using oil painting and airbrushing most commonly to tell stories. She is motivated by the stories of her people, her rich Afghan heritage, and environmental and social justice - all of which bleeds through the mission of her work.

2023-2024 Emerging Leaders Fellows

Abdul Bari Ayubi is a co-founder of a community-based nonprofit organization and a Utah Refugee Advisory Board member. He is a University of Utah student majoring in health and kinesiology/ pre-med and plans to attend medical school Abdul created a high school refugee robotic team in collaboration with teachers and fellow students and served as its captain. . He also served as captain of his high school’s Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA) club. The city of South Salt Lake gave Abdul the Young Leader of the Year award in 2019.
Rooya Rahin is a senior at Princeton University in the Department of Politics and an incoming Master's in Public Affairs student. She is a recipient of the 2023 Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiatives (SINSI) Fellowship at Princeton's School of Public and National Affairs. Outside of the classroom, she is involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion work, Muslim student life, and journalism. She also enjoys poetry, hiking, and reading science fiction.
Sahib D. Kaur plans to pursue a career in medicine and foreign policy following university. Sahib is the founder of SARBAT, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides digital literacy classes to refugees and immigrants. Her advocacy campaign for the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus has earned widespread recognition. She was honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award from the White House and named one of Dallas Fort Worth's 20 under 20 by the World Affairs Council. Sahib enjoys creating music using her classical guitar and rabab.