Meet Library Associate Rania!
A question and answer (Q&A) format with Library Associate Rania! Continue reading to join the conversation.
Are you a Teachers College student, and, if so, what are you studying?
Yes! I am in my second and last year as a TC student in the Elementary Inclusive Education DUAL certification program.
Where’s your hometown?
I was born in Queens, but I was raised in Rockland County New York (by Westchester, NY). I am Palestinian, so my true hometown is a small village called Mizrah Sharkia by Ramallah in Palestine.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was younger, I went through phases of wanting to be a doctor then a veterinarian, but deep down I loved school (still do) and wanted to be a teacher.
What was your first job?
My first job was as a community assistant at ARC Rockland. The role was similar to a teaching role, however I was places in a classroom with older adults with disabilities. My overall role was to advocate for individuals with disabilities in my community.
What has been your best job?
Over this past summer I was a tutor at my local Huntington Learning Center. It was my favorite job because it provided me great experience with teaching students first-hand prior to my student teaching year. Although I was there for a short period of time, I was able to create strong connections with my students and co-workers.
Your favorite meal:
This is a hard question! I love food so much. I'm a big fan of Italian food (pasta is my comfort food), but I also love my mom's home made Palestinian dishes (maklouba, koofta tahnia, mansef).
Are you a morning or night person?:
This is a hard question! I believe myself to be a night person mostly due to the pandemic. My favorite thing to do in quarantine would be to watch movies and tv shows. Now that I started my student teaching year, I have to make myself into a morning person and be ready for the kiddos bright and early around 7:30 AM/ 8 AM.
A delicious dessert:
Ice cream! I love the classic flavors, the candy flavors, the fruit/sorbet flavors! Ice cream makes me so happy!
Song you love no matter how many times you hear it:
Anything Taylor Swift!
A country you’d like to visit:
I want to go visit my sister and nephew in Palestine.
A book you strongly recommend?
The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad. It's a children's book, but I think it is a great book about faith, bravery, and sibling love.
A sport you enjoy playing (or watching)?
Watching - Football, Soccer (futbal), and basketball!
Playing - Softball, Field Hockey, Fencing, Crew/Rowing
TOP THREE….Best places to read?
1)A hammock (if you're in a relaxing mood/if you have one), 2) the steps on CU's campus, 3) Gottesman Libraries!!
The strangest thing I’ve ever done is…
Sleep in a dessert. I was on a trip in Amman, Jordan and had the opportunity to sleep in a tent in the dessert on our way to Petra. It was strange because the tents were in the middle of nowhere and I wasn't really sure how we found the location.
The most fascinating person I’ve ever met is…
My mama:red_heart: She is a one of a kind person. I learn so much from her, she makes me laugh, and her love is like no other.
