Imran Farook Pays it Forward
Baltimore resident Imran Farook never had a Black teacher, male or female, in elementary or middle school. Once enrolled at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C., two educators left a huge impression. Coach Nixon guided him on the soccer field and Mr. Duray was his math teacher. “They were strong, Black men who weren’t scared to talk to me like they were my father. They checked in on my grades, made sure I was treating people with respect, and they were in regular contact with my mother. She appreciated their looking after me at school,” Farook remembers.
Coach Nixon and Mr. Duray’s mentorship helped to guide him through his high school years; still, Imran graduated in 2015 without having a clear plan for what to pursue next. “I enjoyed playing soccer and the social element of high school, but I wasn’t really motivated beyond that. My mom took higher education very seriously and was worried that I hadn’t figured things out.” With his mother’s steady influence, he made sure to take classes at community college over the course of the next year while working at a performing arts center close to his home.
It was at that time that Farook saw a position posted for an AmeriCorps early literacy tutor at The Literacy Lab, a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that provides reading instruction for children from low-income families. Something about the mission of the Literacy Lab immediately appealed to Imran and he excitedly applied for the opportunity.
After being accepted to the program and completing his training, Imran was placed at Browne Education Campus, a K-8 school in Northeast, DC. “As soon as I arrived, I saw the response that kids were having to me. Like ‘Wow - is that one of my teachers?’ I felt like I could be the change that I didn’t have growing up,” Farook reflects. In addition to conducting small group guided reading sessions and writing activities for students from kindergarten through third grade, he worked at the before school program beginning at 6:45 each morning.
Imran’s dedication and strong connection to his students caught the attention of the Browne EC principal at the time, Dwight Davis. “He started asking me questions, like ‘What are your plans?’ and ‘Have you thought about teaching as a career?’” Davis invited Farook to stay on at Browne EC the following year as an instructional aide with DC Public Schools. In that role, Farook was able to deepen the work he began through the Literacy Lab, now working with students in kindergarten and fifth grade.
Imran defines his years at Browne as transformative for his own learning as well as for the students. “I would walk down the hallways and students would say, ‘Mr. Imran, Mr. Imran! Can you pull me from class so we can do our reading?’ It felt like the students and I were both making a lot of progress in our lives. Our growth was interconnected.”
Farook increased his load of college courses, this time with a clear goal in mind. Inspired by Principal Davis, he set an intention to eventually work in school administration. “When I saw the Black men in leadership at Browne EC, their passion and commitment were very energizing. I looked at them and thought that I could really see myself in that position, trying to do the best I can for the kids.” Seeking to master the craft of teaching before entering school leadership, he knew it was time to engage in college full time.
Departing Browne EC was bittersweet. Imran loved the experience but was excited to move to Baltimore in 2019 as a transfer student at Towson University. A year into his studies there, he received an email from Ricardo Neal, who had recently made a professional transition himself. Formerly a director at the Literacy Lab, Neal went on to establish We Will All Rise as its President and CEO. “Imran had left an impression on me when we met at the Literacy Lab because he was intentional about seeking mentorship,” Neal recalls. “He was always on my list as someone to continue to support.”
Click play button to meet Imran.
Neal’s new organization was exclusively focused on Black and Brown men’s personal and professional development, and he encouraged Farook to apply for the Free Minds program, a campaign intended to address the emotional, academic, and financial needs of young men of color while in college. The timing couldn’t have been better for Imran, who was navigating his coursework through the stresses of the global pandemic. The cost of college was also a strain, especially as his ability to work part time was compromised by the public health crisis.
We Will All Rise delivered, providing Imran with a $10,000 scholarship to support his studies at Towson, but also with a network and a sense of community during a time of isolation. His relationship with All Rise has deepened over the past two years, and he is a recent recipient of the Boys and Young Men of Color Fellowship, which empowers Fellows to tackle education issues in their community. Imran’s project taps his fellow Towson male students to read to young children in Baltimore as a way to introduce teaching as a potential career. “The project is an opportunity to bring together my current experience as a college student to my earlier work helping students with their literacy skills,” says Farook.
Imran remains focused on his desire to teach upon graduation, with a double major in sociology and technology. Ricardo Neal could not be prouder. “Imran is an incredible example of the impact that a young man can have when he receives the mentorship and resources that he deserves. I smile every time I think about how many children will benefit when Imran becomes a teacher.”
On track to graduate this year, Farook is deciding between grad school or returning to the K-12 space right away. Either way, he knows whom he wants to impact. “Working with students is going to be a lifelong experience for me. I’m looking forward to the future.”
