The Student Becomes the Teacher

Class of ‘09 alumnus Mr.Meqdad is making his return to Selma High School this year, and quite literally, the student has now become the teacher. 

Meqdad felt an almost magnetic pull to give back to the community that taught him lessons as a teen, lessons which he still holds dear today. In coming back to Selma High School, Meqdad intends to do everything in his power to make his math students capable and strong. 

Meqdad has taught math for three years and previously taught in Alpaugh, California, at a small rural school with a total student population of about 95. As the acting teacher in Math 1, Math 2, Math 3, AP Stats, Computer science, and intervention teacher, Meqdad had more than a full plate. Despite the number of classes he taught, smaller class sizes came with many advantages.

“I’m all about smaller class sizes because you can provide a lot of classroom support,” stated Meqdad. 

The transition from Alpaugh to Selma has been a considerable one, but Meqdad happily accepts the challenge if it means doing what he loves. 

Teaching was never Meqdad’s number one career choice, however. He was originally studying to become a doctor, but credits Selma High School’s very own Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Manter with his change in outlook. 

“I never really wanted to teach. The reason I became a teacher is because of Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Manter. They were my teachers when I came to Selma,” recalled Meqdad. 

Prior to living in Selma, Meqdad lived in Jordan and Palestine for about 11 years. Meqdad, a native New Jerseyan, moved to Selma by himself at 16 years-old to live with his aunt. 

“I missed out on High School education in America,” commented the math teacher. 

Selma High School provided Meqdad with the support, kindness, and resources to pursue his dreams of going to college, and he hopes that he can do the same for his students. 

After changing his course to the educational track, Meqdad has made it his goal to make math a little more bearable. He hopes to be someone that his students can rely on and look up to. 

“The best part of teaching is the intrinsic reward, the happiness that you get from a student saying ‘you helped me out,’” said Meqdad.

In his efforts to influence the world for the better, Meqdad wants to push his students in the same way that his teachers pushed him.

“For my students I will be positive, uplifting, loud, or funny, because that’s what they may need,” Meqdad related. 

Meqdad, fluent in both Arabic and English, also intends to learn more Spanish in his efforts to connect with all of his students a bit more. 

Being a husband, father of two (a four year old and three- week newborn), new house-owner, and teacher at a new school has given Meqdad’s life quite a twist. Meqdad has embraced this new chapter in his life with great zeal and Selma High has embraced Mr. Meqdad back with open arms and much optimism.