Raised by an educator in the city of Miami Gardens, Rashid learned the importance of a great education at a young age. After graduating from a Masters of Divinity program, he decided he wanted to make an immediate impact on the lives of young students who looked like him, while gaining ground-level experience tackling systemic challenges.
Why did you join TFA?
Being an African American male and having learned about the challenges facing Title 1 schools in the South, I wondered if I could be an effective teacher at one. I thought students would be able to identify with me. As an instructor, I wanted to see what was going on with this opportunity gap from the ground level, so I applied to TFA in 2009.
What is one of your greatest successes as a teacher?
I had a student who hated school, but we connected. He told me, "I don’t value school, but there’s something about your history class that makes me want to learn." When he graduated, he sought me out and said, "I get it. I need to get my education so I can help my mom and my little brothers." It was overwhelming to think I made that impression on him.
How has your TFA experience changed you?
It’s bigger than just Teach For America; it’s about closing the gap. Regardless of content, curriculum, or Common Core, you can't make change if you don’t have the right human capital and real leaders. So, for me, as a leader within this work who is trying to empower young minds daily, I know that I have to stay in it to really make a difference.