Interview Spotlight: Jamila Abdulrashid

Welcome back!  We are looking forward to a great year delivering excellent school library services to our students at Passages and we’re thrilled to welcome Jamila Abdulrashid to our team.  Ms. Abdulrashid is the new school librarian for our school’s largest library space, Bronx Hope.  --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

JFS:  Can you tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you arrived at Bronx Hope?

JA: Prior to becoming the librarian at Passages’ Bronx Hope I was the librarian at a 3K – 8^th grade school in Harlem.  Before that I worked as a librarian in Queens and the Bronx prior to that.  My tenure in libraries began in 2004 at JHS 135 in the Bronx.

JFS: What is your favorite kind of text to read?

JA: My favorite type of text to read is informational text.  Such as how to books, biographies and self-help material.  Additionally, I do enjoy a good mystery.

JFS: What was your favorite book as a teenager?

JA: My favorite book as a teenager was the rite of passage story, Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret. I read this story at 12 or 13 years old.

JFS:  What do you like to do for fun when you’re not reading?

JA: When I am not reading I enjoy a myriad of activities that include but are not limited to, the arts, sewing, crafting, music/dancing and comedy.

JFS: What attracted you to Passages Academy?

JA:  What attracted me to Passages Academy was the possibility of influencing better choices for a population of young people that are often counted out as hopeless.  I absolutely love working with young people and nurturing their self-confidence along with their self-awareness.  It is always my hope to make a positive impact on the lives of my students and these young people need us as much as any other students.  I was asked “…why this student population?”  My response was “why not?”