My Story/college

My Story - Ali & Kevin (Part 2)

Ali Fadlallah - Teach for America
University of Minnesota

I’ve lost count of when and where I was interviewing when the interviewer glanced over his/her notes about me, pushed them aside with a curious smile and said, “Alright! Tell me about this S-T-L-F.” What I do remember for certain is that this happened in my interview with Teach for America—but then again, how could it not?

After all, I was on very first of eight (and counting) Pay it Forward Tours when Teach for America was introduced to me, from none other then a TFA Corps Member and our much loved STLF Alumni Ryan Frailich. This bus of 42 University of Minnesota students and 1 mother would all concur that our most memorable and truly life-changing experience on that March 2007 tour occurred with Ryan’s students and the small, familial community of Shelby, MS. From ripping out the City Hall Carpet, planting flowers, and cleaning the parks, there was a vibe and bond that occurred with the community of Shelby in just two days that I could truly write a book about. And now, as if destiny has had its way, I have been placed in the Mississippi Delta—just 22 miles from Shelby in the great community of Clarksdale, MS—where I will be teaching High School English to 10th and 11th graders.

Through my experiences within STLF, it has become almost impossible for me to ignore the cliché that “everything happens for a reason.” The occurrences that brought me to this cliché arrived so frequently, and progressively became too profound for me to ignore. Take, for example, a ride home that I had with a wonderful STLF volunteer, my fellow bus-core leader at the time, and one of the best friends I’ve had the privilege of gaining through STLF, Kari Foley.  After meeting with our core at Kari’s house on a cold, snowy evening, Kari and I hopped on 35-W and headed back toward the cities. Still 15 minutes from our campus exit, we stumbled upon an SUV that was clearly stuck in the median between the highway and exit. Naturally, I turned to Kari and asked, “should we Pay it Forward?” And instinctively, Kari began to pull over, as she simultaneously smiled and said, “yes.” As we proceeded to dig the back tires out with our bare hands, the sting of the cold and nearly frost-bitten fingers were no match for the feeling we had when the two women smiled graciously and thanked us for our kindness. In the midst of this frenzy, we did not share contact information, or even names.

Almost a year and a half later, I stood at the podium before the College of Liberal Arts, nervous about the commencement speech I would soon give. As I chatted with Vice Provost Nancy “Rusty” Barcelo, she stopped and insisted that she recognized me. I told her that it must have been through MCAE, or the Multicultural Center of Academic Excellence, because I too had remembered her face. But before I could finish, she stopped me and said, “Ali! Were you with a young lady, by any chance, who stopped to help me dig my SUV out of the road last year?”

No single occurrence or words could’ve uplifted more prior to delivering my speech. I walked up to that podium with a greater sense of belonging than I could’ve ever imagined having just mere minutes before show-time. This same sense of belonging has followed me to Houston, TX, where I have completed my rigorous Teach for America 5-week summer training institute. Just yesterday, in my visit to the twin cities, I had the privilege of standing before a College of Liberal Arts camera that will be used for promotional purposes and welcome week and once again answer the question, “How was Pay it Forward inspired you on your journey to where you are now as a Corps Member?” The beauty of it all, is that I am never sick of hearing the question…it is never rehearsed…and it is never the same. Instead, it is constantly evolving, always changing, and growingly a part of who I am.

STLF has served as my vessel to self-discovery. In turn, STLF is why I Teach for America. STLF has equipped me with the confidence to inspire, the skills to succeed, and the spirit to find optimism when it has seemed that negativity has won over my environment. One of the greatest moments that drew me into my journey within STLF occurred when I watched Greg Tehven deliver a moving speech at an organizational conference. I do not remember a word of this heartfelt speech, but I do remember having a special moment and thinking, “I want to speak like that guy, so that I can inspire others the way he has inspired me.” From that day forward, I took it upon myself to present in public as often as I could, and STLF has nurtured this growth and goal of mine since I’ve made it known. The commencement speech was not a dream that I had planned or shared, but when I got there…it seemed like it was. Similarly, Teach for America was not a post-graduate move that I had set my heart on or knew for certain I wanted to do, but when I got there…it seemed like it was. Perhaps, STLF has done nothing more but fulfill its mission; it has revealed me as a leader and allowed me to trust my intuition, and thereby given my passion for service, activism, and relationships the chance to come into fruition at each stage of my life.

Click here if you missed Part 1 of the series last week with Kevin Parkinson.

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