Dina Kobeissi Legal Assistant
Education
Joint A.B. in Government and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (Highest Honors), Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, Class of 2024.
High School Diploma from Boston Latin School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Class of 2020.
Awards
- John Harvard Scholar (Top 5% of class).
- Awarded the James Gordon Bennett Prize for senior thesis on the impact of economic sanctions on Syria; the James Gordon Bennett Prize is awarded by the Harvard University Department of Government for the best essay in English prose on a subject of American governmental, domestic, or foreign policy of contemporaneous interest.
- Harvard Foundation Insignia Award.
- Harvard Arab Alumni Association Award.
- Arab America 20 Under 20.
Experience
Dina Kobeissi graduated magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University in May 2024, earning a joint honors degree in Government (Law and Justice Track) and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (Modern Middle Eastern Studies Track) along with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. She currently works as a Legal Assistant with The Ansar Law Firm assisting in research and transactional matters.
Dina’s experiences have been wide-ranging, and encompass academic research, community service, and leadership roles.
At Harvard, Dina was part of a select group of undergraduate research associates at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs where she conducted independent thesis research on the impact of economic sanctions on Syria (see above). She has presented her research at the annual Undergraduate Weatherhead Thesis Conference, the Harvard Government Research Symposium, and the Arab Conference at Harvard.
On campus, she volunteered with and led the Community Resources Committee for the Harvard Small Claims Advisory Service, a student-run program dedicated to empowering socioeconomically disadvantaged members of the community in seeking legal redress effectively through the Massachusetts small claims system.
With the Harvard Institute of Politics Public Opinion Project, she collaborated in research teams to brainstorm and write poll questions, evaluate survey data, and share crucial findings with members of the press, elected officials, as well as activist and political groups.
Dina also founded and presided over the Harvard Undergraduate Arab Women’s Collective (HAWC), organizing events focused on strengthening Arab sisterhood on campus and fostering discussions surrounding women’s rights and empowerment in the Arab world and beyond.
Through these diverse experiences, Dina has developed a profound commitment to advocacy, justice, and community empowerment, which she hopes to continue to pursue in her professional career.
Other
Foreign Languages: Arabic (native fluency), Spanish (limited working proficiency).