Lauren Schreiber is the co-founder and executive director of Center DC, and is excited to expand her role and to serve as the resident chaplain for our community.

Lauren is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Chaplaincy with a focus on Islamic Chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary, and is completing her first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at MedStar Washington Hospital Center under the mentorship of Ch. Tahara Akmal. Prior to that, she studied the personal obligations (Fard al Ayn) according to the Shafi'i school of thought under Shaykha Ieasha Prime and Usted Athman Jilo. She is also the Vice President of Community Chaplaincy and Ethics Committee Chair at the Association of Muslim Chaplains (AMC). She lives for strategic planning & culture creation in community spaces. Her most important (and favorite!) job is being a mom. You can often find her facilitating groups, talking about restorative justice and/or grief/death/dying, reading a Brene Brown book, building systems, writing music and making pupusas. She is a convert to Islam and especially loves learning about the paths others take in their respective faith journeys. Lauren lives in P.G. County, Maryland with her spunky daughter (Najia), her amazing husband (Muhammad Oda), and mom.

NOTE: Lauren’s 1:1 schedule is on a VERY limited availability after returning from maternity leave + caring for her new baby!

Najiba is a chaplain and life coach who has been serving the Greater Boston Muslim community in various capacities for the past 20 years. She received her B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies from Wellesley College and her Masters in Social Work from Boston College. She holds a coaching certification at the associate level with Integral Coaching Canada. She has also studied under teachers from Boston Islamic Seminary and Fawakih Arabic Institute. She formerly served as Youth Director at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) and as the Muslim Chaplain at Wellesley College, Northeastern University, and Tufts University. 

Najiba's passion is to facilitate pathways for people to discover and develop their whole selves - spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, intuitively and more. She believes that we each have our own unique path to forge when it comes to our journey to know ourselves and ultimately to know God. She also co-hosts the Muslim Enneagram podcast, which explores the connection between Islam and the ancient Enneagram symbol, which is said to be a roadmap for the journey of the soul towards the Divine essence.

Chaplain Usama Malik is an Austin area native, having resided within the 512 for his whole life. Usama completed his undergraduate studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015. After graduation, Usama attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary for study as a chaplain, and graduated in May 2020 earning his Master of Divinity along with completing a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). He is completed a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary in 2021 and also serves as a chaplain for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Trinity University in San Antonio. Usama currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the Office of Student Affairs and Vocation at Austin Seminary, serving students from all backgrounds and helping them find their footing during seminary. Usama also currently serves as Secretary for the Association of Muslim Chaplains (AMC). Alongside his work and school, Usama specializes in the areas of organizational development and management, marketing, graphic design, and digital media. Outside of work and school, Usama has a passion for photography, traveling, hiking, and walking and is a proud parent along with his wife Sara to three rabbits: Raja, Quinn, and Truffles.