Timothy Ghazzawi went from student to teacher to traveler, and two years ago returned with a new role as an English teacher.
In 2008, Ghazzawi graduated from Marshall. Now, 14 years later, he’s helping students meet the same goal.
“I went to Marshall as a student, so in a way teaching here is a full circle experience,” Ghazzawi said. “There is a familiarity with the school, and I recognize some of the teachers who were there when I was a student.”
After graduating, he continued his education at the University of Maryland, and by 2013, Ghazzawi graduated with both his bachelor’s degree in English language and his master’s in secondary education and teaching.
After working in Prince George County for six years and a middle school in Washington D.C., Ghazzawi took a year off teaching to travel.
“A couple of years ago I took a year off teaching in order to travel,” Ghazzawi said. “I bought a one-way ticket to Ecuador. I also toured New Zealand and Australia, [and] I then went on to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.”
Ghazzawi returned to teaching at his alma mater last school year where he said he built particularly strong bonds with the class of 2022.
“I met the class of 2022 in my first year of teaching and tried really hard to get to know them in a kind of goofy way,” Ghazzawi said. “[I] developed a strange close relationship, coming this year I was able to put faces to names.”
Ghaazawi also coaches boys varsity tennis at Marshall after playing as a student.
“Tennis was really the only sport I was good at,” Ghazzawi said. “Some people like team sports, but I love the individual aspect of the sport. I’ve taught a few of my players myself, and I’ve gotten to know them. It’s just a really good group of guys that I’ve got.”
2022-04-20