Prince Islam’s family always made sure he had a desk, even as the Bangladeshi family of four shared its one-bedroom apartment in Jamaica, Queens with two others to make ends meet. Prince used the dedicated study space--and the support--to earn his way into first Stuyvesant High School and then Tufts University.
“College was the first time that I got my own room. A lot of my peers took it for granted but to me it felt surreal,” says Islam, who teaches Quantitative Literacy to eleventh grade students at The American Dream School. “I share this often with my students, as it gives them hope and an understanding that there is more out there for them if they invest in their education.”
“I’m teaching students who are New Yorkers just like me, first-generation American just like me,” says Islam. “Growing up, I lost my own fluency and heritage in Bengali culture because my education just didn’t support that. I think it’s amazing to have a school that values home culture and sees home language as an asset.”
