Marwa Hassanien will be Zoom-ing in to address prevalent biases and their manifestation in microaggressions, emphasizing the importance of cultural competency skills. Attendees will gain valuable insights into understanding the difference between intent and impact in cross-cultural interactions. Marwa's expertise will guide us in breaking down cultural and language barriers, fostering an environment that better serves our New Mainers. Marwa will also discuss the immigrant experience within healthcare and the broader community.

Marwa, her husband, and their four children have called Bangor their home since 2005. Marwa, the daughter of Egyptian immigrants, grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma before moving to the east coast with her husband. She earned her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Maine in Orono, and is currently a Doctoral student in the UMO Literacy Education program. Marwa also received DEI certification from Yale and Cornell Universities. She is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northern Light Health, CEO/founder of Affinity DEI, LLC, and a Tutor Trainer for the Literacy Volunteers of Bangor. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Maine Multicultural Center, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, the Bangor Region YMCA, and the Auxiliary of the Penobscot County Medical Society. Additionally, she was elected to serve a second term on the Bangor School Committee in November 2022, for which she is the current Chairwoman. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and taking boxing classes.

We will have a TV set up in the library to view Marwa’s presentation, or you can Zoom in from home!