By Kellie Britch, College of Arts and Sciences
Dyma AbuOleim, a 2002 graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences鈥� Department of Communication, has combined her passion for service with the skills she gained at USF to found a nonprofit organization that鈥檚 making an impact in Tampa and beyond.
In 2017, after several years of involvement in other organizations, AbuOleim felt inspired to start 200 Muslim Women Who Care, which now boasts over 500 members with chapters in Tampa and Dallas with more to come.
Under AbuOleim鈥檚 leadership, 200 Muslim Women Who Care has expanded to two chapters with another one set to launch in 2027.
鈥淎s Muslims, we believe that everyone has fitrah, or a natural disposition for good, and sometimes people just need the vehicle in which to amplify their good,鈥� said AbuOleim. 鈥淚 want 200 Muslim Women Who Care to be that vehicle.鈥�
Under AbuOleim鈥檚 guidance as founder and president, the organization has partnered with other nonprofits to further their reach, including funding child sexual abuse prevention and intervention training for more than 60 staff members from the Children鈥檚 Board of Hillsborough County.
According to AbuOleim, she owes much of the success and impact to her time at USF. Not only is the co-founder of 200 Muslim Women Who Care, Farah Modi-Khan, a fellow alum but AbuOleim also says she uses what she learned during her time in the college every day.
鈥淟eading an organization is all about the communication,鈥� said AbuOleim. 鈥淔rom creating our policies to making sure that everybody is on the same page, it all starts with communication. Especially when it comes to managing over 500 members and replicating our mission in new chapters.鈥�
Steven Wilson, professor and chair in the Department of Communication, believes the AbuOleim鈥檚 story showcases the value of a degree in communication.
鈥淒yma AbuOleim's story is compelling because it shows how communication majors can take what they鈥檝e learned 鈥� how to build relationships/networks, listen and communicate across differences, lead diverse teams and collaborate with community partners 鈥� and use that to pursue their personal and professional passions and build something like the nonprofit 200 Muslim Who Care,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淲e're proud to have her as an alum.鈥�
Learn more about 200 Muslim Women Who Care.