Laila Noor
I came from Bangladesh where English is not my first language, and I always tried to support English language learners. When I came to the USA, I saw immigrants and people from other countries whose first language is not English - they could be children or adults - and I saw their struggles firsthand, not just with language but with societal struggles, personal challenges, and psychological stress. Because my background very closely aligns with theirs, having traveled halfway across the world to come to a new country and facing many challenges in terms of immigration status, language, cultural, and academic challenges, I feel I can understand and feel their pulse better. I have some advantages - I have a PhD, I have teacher preparation training - so I have qualifications and equipment with which I can support them. This motivated me to work for them, to make a better place for them in terms of linguistic support, academic support, and social-emotional support. I want to inspire girls across the world who are underprivileged and who did not have enough opportunity in their life, to show them that if you have strong determination and work hard for your goals and dreams, you can make your own place and inspire others. I achieved my students' love, and many students reach me personally to appreciate the way I understand them and support them, making their lives a little bit easier.
• PhD in Education and TESOL from University of Central Florida
• PhD in Education and TESOL
• University of Central Florida
• First Bangladeshi student in the education department at University of Central Florida since its establishment in 1960
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my strong determination, perseverance, and refusing to give up even when the path was hard. There were many times I felt that I would not be able to make it the way I dreamed, and honestly, many times I felt that this place was not for me. But with my determination and my tendency to do the best as much as I can and not leave something in the middle, I was able to reach the end of the path. When I reached the end and looked back, I could see that I achieved so many things personally, but at the same time, I could also influence and contribute to many people along the way who came across in my life. The difference between someone who becomes successful and someone who does not is not merit - it is the strong determination. Most people leave in the middle, and that is the difference.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that if you have your determination, your dream and goal and perseverance, you will be able to accomplish it. But at the same time, we need to have a good heart to fulfill our dream, and paths are always very hard. If you want to contribute to society and if you have a dream and a goal, you should stick to that. Failure will come along the way and it is a part of the journey. Many times you might feel that you cannot do it, and many times you might feel that maybe this place is not for you, but sometimes you need to fake it until you have it. You should continue with your determination and belief, and hopefully at the end you will be able to achieve that. Most people leave in the middle, and that is the difference between someone who becomes successful and someone who does not - it is not merit, it is the strong determination. I want to tell my story to girls who think it is not possible, that this is not for them, that they will not be able to do it. I want to tell them yes, you can. If you have a dream, you can do that. If a girl from Bangladesh could do this, maybe you can do it too.
Locations
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL