In the Leonard family, Deya’, whose mother is from Nazareth and father from Tennessee, represents the second generation dedicated to educating Palestinian youth. Her father, Dr. Graham Leonard (Ph.D., Harvard), was an educator in the Middle East, providing Deya’ with a deep understanding of the cross-cultural challenges faced by LE•O scholars. She understands the obstacles students encounter in pursuing university education abroad.

Raised in Lebanon with her primary education in England, Deya’ moved to the U.S. for college, attending Hampshire College in Massachusetts to study Linguistics, Anthropology, and Education. Before joining the NGO field 15 years ago, Deya’ had a 31-year international career in the fashion industry, working as a model, actress, and producer of fashion shows and campaigns.

She serves on the advisory board of Challenge to Change. In 2022, the Leonard Education Organization (LE•O) received two awards: United Nations Accreditation and the prestigious Takreem Foundation Award for International Contribution to Arab Society. Deya’ currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Bradic, and has a son by her late husband, two stepdaughters, and seven grandchildren.