Our Story
MIST began in 2002 with a simple but powerful idea: to create a space where Muslim high school students could come together to learn, compete, and discover their potential.
What is MIST?
We inspire high school students to collaborate and compete, develop creative skills, and learn from professionals, while educating them about Islam and Muslims. MIST envisions a vibrant community of creativity, knowledge, and mutual respect. Our programming includes annual regional and national tournaments in more than a dozen regions across North America. Over 6,000 high school students competed in tournaments last year, with thousands of additional volunteers, judges, and coaches.
MIST Through the Years
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Founded by Shazia Siddiqi, now our Founding Trustee Emeritus, what started as a single regional tournament in Houston quickly revealed something bigger—students were hungry for a community that celebrated creativity, knowledge, and faith-driven excellence.
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In the years that followed, MIST grew organically as that vision resonated across cities. New regions formed in Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Boston, followed by the establishment of our first national theme in 2004 and the inaugural Nationals tournament in 2006.
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By the end of the decade, MIST had expanded beyond the South and East Coast to Toronto and Detroit, reaching seven regions by 2009. Continued growth brought MIST to the West Coast in 2010 with the launch of Irvine and the formation of a National Directors Committee.
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By 2019, MIST had grown to fifteen regions and hosted Nationals in seven different cities. In 2020, the organization entered its next chapter—formalizing a new governance structure and establishing a Board of Trustees to steward MIST’s future as a registered educational nonprofit in both the United States and Canada.