Assalamu Alaikum WRWB
4th graders in the house, do you know my name? Yes, my name is Sr Fathima Sulaiman and I was blessed to have been educated at an Islamic international girls’ school - the first of its kind on an island that was being torn apart by a civil war. Does anyone know which country that is?
Yes, I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka - a tropical paradise, bordered by beautiful beaches and calm oceans where the summer is a whole year long.
Although my parents may not share, I am sure they sacrificed what they could, to put my siblings and myself through a quality education and I feel my story resonates with many of my students both here at RSA and outside.
Having a very wide array of interests and disciplines that I enjoyed, it was especially difficult for me to choose a career path. I was in every club you can name. I fancied art, technology, architecture, debating, science, gardening, maps… Yes, the list is too long for five minutes. I had more career goals than I could count. Now you might think that that's a good thing and it is until it's time to pick a favorite. Like most of us do, I prayed. I asked Allah to guide me toward a future I couldn’t clearly see and He did. Eventually, our paths do find us; so please hang in there. As stated by Mahatma Gandhi we have to be the change we wish to see.
Once I entered college, it was like being pushed into the deep end on the first day of swim class. Nevertheless, some of the best days of my life were at college. Crazy fun-filled days coupled with daunting moments of academic stress and roller coaster emotions came crashing down. Navigating a world that was much wider than the bubble-wrapped bubble we grew up in was sometimes excruciating but it was time to face the bridge between adolescence and adulthood, head-on. Being in the student activity club and editorial committee of the college magazine, our campus was always a hive of buzzing activity. We organized Iftars, game nights, concerts, talent shows, talks, road trips, coding contests, and leadership workshops. Team projects were an exciting nightmare because I always started on day one while some of my friends waited for the last minute. Every day was filled with thrilling adventures and happy memories. I majored in Business Information Technology and graduated with first-class honors, Alhamdelillah. Those years do go by faster than you think.
Eventually, I would learn that the paths we choose don't matter as much as the person we grow to be. The relationships we build in school and college, can last a lifetime. Who we are on the inside and our values create our road map to success. This winter I was privileged to meet my college friend, also a hijabee, who circumnavigated the coast of Australia including the death route all by herself. Her amazing transformation and stories from the wilderness of her journey show that we continue to grow as individuals far beyond the walls of the classroom. Another college mate I met there, had started his own software firm in Australia employing hundreds of people all around the country and even the world. Some of my friends got their PHDs and others are leaders of the industries they work in.
So how did I get into teaching? My high school friends used to have me explain concepts to them and to my surprise, they seemed to enjoy it. So it was my school friends who first helped me discover my knack for teaching and tried to encourage me to get into education. I didn't necessarily take that advice at first.
After college, I took up a job at a firm where I learned how to manage people and software but my love for teaching kept calling me. I finally decided to take up an offer to lecture at a college where I was able to bring my passion to life. Every day I woke up looking forward to my day which felt more like a vacation than a job. I loved how expressive undergraduates could be with their ideas. we had a great time learning from one another.
I hadn’t planned to stay there for long though and parallelly started my MBA so I could get back into the corporate world. As life often works out, Allah has different plans for me.
Fast forward a few years and I found myself in a classroom full of energetic 8th graders in the cold winter of New Jersey. Not exactly my ideal career plan but I loved teaching them. One student from that class stands out in my memories. He went on to create an AI startup that revolutionized the way advertising in cabs worked. Many others are doctors, lawyers, and engineers today Masha Allah. We now run our own robotics training company where our teams have won multiple awards at robotics leagues.
So many students have told me that they rediscovered their love for science in my class. They rekindled their adventurous spirits while learning because I had them seated at the edge of their seats with forensics and crime documentaries, killer whale stories, and of course explosive experiments. There is so much contentment in sharing your enthusiasm for the subjects you love. I know now that I have found my home.
Completing my master's in education was a daring move on my part because this time, along with tight deadlines, late-night assignments, and piles of textbooks to get through, I had to juggle the needs of my children and family. I worked very hard and didn’t give up despite my struggles because this was exactly what we teach our students, don't we?
The impact we have as educators far outlives us and these are some of the reasons that we choose to be here empowering our next generation not just to do great things but also to be great individuals. It is through the pursuit of our dreams that we come alive. So don’t stop dreaming and dream big!
Find the joy in the little things around you. Be a lifelong learner always willing to explore and grow. Pay it forward. And most of all, hold close and tight to the rope of Allah because without our faith we truly are alone.
Jazakallahu Kheir
