Originally from Houston, Texas, I studied journalism and literature at the University of Houston before pursuing a career in writing and journalism in the Middle East for five years. Ultimately, I wanted to return to school and study literature. In 2011 I moved to Paris where I was given a full scholarship to study at The American University in Paris and later received a Master's degree in comparative literature. The contrast between two very different environments and career paths, of journalism and academia, has greatly impacted my intellectual pursuits as well as my approach to teaching: which is to help guide readers and students to their own conclusions.

My teaching experience began in France where I taught English to first-year university students at a highly competitive aeronautical engineering school where I also helped design the curriculum. In 2014, I returned to New York City where I was landed a job at Poly Prep Country Day School as an Associate Director of Communication. Essentially I was hired to be the school's storyteller but after two years, and many invites to guest lecture in my colleagues' classrooms, I realized that I wanted to transition into teaching full time. Eventually, with the encouragement of many faculty members and our former Head of School, I made the move toward teaching and designed my own English elective class called Arabic Literature in Translation.

Earlier this year, after I completed my writing fellowship at Ucross Foundation to work on my debut novel, I was hired as a Course Instructor at The School of The New York Times where I teach two courses during the summer, one called Cultural and Creative Writing and another called Writing the Big City (alongside author Judith Matloff). During the fall and spring semesters I also teach a two-week writing intensive course called the Writer's Workshop.

Having grown up in a bilingual Arab family and having taught at the high school and college level, I'm comfortable with populations diverse in race, class, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, opinion and age.