Meet Amira

During my undergraduate years at UI, I majored in Psychology and Secondary Education with a minor in Spanish. I earned my BA in Psychology along with teaching licensure in Social Studies, ELL (English Language Learning), and Spanish. During my undergraduate years, I spent a lot of time studying abroad after being captivated by a history class I took in Spain during a J-term. I later studied in India twice with the College of Education, I volunteered in Cuba, and I completed half of my student teaching in Ecuador. Also from UI, I went on to complete my MA in Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies: Schools, Culture, and Society. 

For the past four years, I taught ELL and Social Studies at West High here in Iowa City. For the majority of my students, I was their first teacher of color. Growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I did not have a teacher that looked like me until my sophomore year of college. In my role here in the College of Education, I am partnering with local school districts to create a student to teacher pathways program to help diversify Iowa's teacher workforce in addition to supporting antiracism efforts and global education in the college. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out.