Dina Zuckerberg ’91 to Receive Goucher’s Public Service Award

 

“The first thing most people see when they’re meeting somebody is their face,” says Dina Zuckerberg ’91. “And when you have a craniofacial difference, people may make assumptions that you’re not smart or you’re not capable.” As director of family programs at the nonprofit myFace, Zuckerberg is committed to changing that narrative.

The story of Dina Zuckerberg was one of success. With a degree from Goucher in American studies, she worked as a litigation paralegal, then for the Author’s Guild, and then at Goldman Sachs in the Private Wealth Management Division. After eight years there, however, she felt called to pursue something more meaningful.

In 2014, she learned about an open position at myFace, an organization that offers support and resources for people with craniofacial differences and their families. “It had always been in the back of my mind that I would love to work at myFace,” she says.

Born with a cleft lip, hearing loss, and no vision in one eye, Zuckerberg underwent six surgeries as a child, along with years of orthodontics and speech therapy. While those experiences were challenging, she rarely spoke about another part of her story—teasing, bullying, and exclusion. “I never want any child to go through what I did,” she says. “This work is something I’m deeply passionate about.”

At myFace, Zuckerberg has found powerful ways to share her story and help others tell theirs. She organizes support groups and leads a peer-to-peer group for adults with facial differences. “I love doing it,” she says. As a child, she often felt alone in her experiences. “Being part of this group, I realized that so many people in the community had similar experiences,” she says. “There’s power in a shared story—in knowing you’re not alone.”

Through webinars, panel discussions, and both in-person and virtual events, Zuckerberg works to meet the evolving needs of those with facial differences and their families. She recently moderated a panel on helping children succeed in school, with resources for academic support as well as strategies to address bullying and social challenges. As she says, “I’m always trying to think about the things that the community needs and then trying to fulfill those needs.”

Building on all she does at myFace, Zuckerberg also hosts a podcast for the nonprofit, “myFace, myStory,” which is a mix of interviews and roundtable conversations. “We’ve had a lot of different guests, and it’s reached over 50,000 people so far,” she says. Recent episodes featured a memoirist, a teacher, a musician, and discussions on dating, media representation, and the transition from childhood into adulthood.

One of Zuckerberg’s favorite parts of her job is presenting at school assemblies in person and on Zoom for the myFace Wonder Project. The program is inspired by the bestselling novel Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and been translated into 56 languages, about a young boy with a craniofacial difference navigating school life. It encourages students to move from being bystanders to becoming upstanders.

“To be an upstander means you see something that’s wrong and you do something to make it right,” Zuckerberg says. She urges students to include someone sitting alone, play with a classmate at recess, walk with someone who’s being picked on, or simply offer a smile and say hello. “I wish I had more upstanders in my life growing up,” she adds. “It would have made such a big difference for me.”

Following the release of the film adaptation of Wonder in 2017, the program expanded significantly. Zuckerberg has now reached more than 100,000 students. She shares her own story during these presentations, often showing students her hearing aid. After one recent assembly, a young girl approached her, excited to share that she also wore a hearing aid—something she had never seen in someone else before. For Zuckerberg, moments like these reinforce the power of connection and representation.

“Choosing kindness, being curious, and building connections are values that guide everything I do,” she says. Through her work, Zuckerberg helps ensure that fewer people feel alone—and in the process, finds meaning and connection herself. “I always say that as much as I give, I get so much more back.”

On Saturday, April 25, during Goucher’s Alumnae/i Weekend, Zuckerberg will be honored for her work with the 2026 Elizabeth Statuta Baker ’70 Public Service Award.