Mayadah Alhashem

Driven by purpose, values, and passion. Mayadah Alhashem obtained her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from UC Santa Barbara, followed by a master's degree in mechanical engineering from KAUST, Saudi Arabia. She holds a Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley and a Graduate Certificate in Human Development and Learning from Ball State University. She is currently an engineer in Saudi Aramco.

Her deepest passion lies in EdTech to promote understanding child development from a cognitive and developmental standpoint. Through her graduate studies at Ball State, she explored social and emotional development across cultures, particularly how collectivist support systems create stronger foundations for children's resilience.

Her research synthesizes findings from Palestinian children demonstrating resilience through shared identity during conflict, Japanese and Chinese families showing how community-centered norms support emotional regulation, and her own experience growing up in Saudi Arabia with guidance from extended family. This work led her to develop "the village model" - a framework showing that children thrive best when surrounded by consistent values, communal support, and shared identity. She advocates for rebuilding these traditional support systems in modern contexts.