{"id":20550,"date":"2021-07-28T15:46:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T15:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=20550"},"modified":"2025-03-17T10:46:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T17:46:36","slug":"pursuit-of-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/07\/28\/pursuit-of-dream","title":{"rendered":"The pursuit of a dream"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIf anyone deserves the honor of being named a member of this year\u2019s Husky 100, I truly believe it is Ana Radzi.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These words were shared by Tim Wilson, dean of Student Affairs at the University of Washington Bothell, about a student who has gone above and beyond in service to her many communities. She is a campus leader, a student teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and an advocate for the Seattle Housing Authority. And above all else, she is a mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAna stands out because of the way she commits herself to others,\u201d said Dr. Allison Hintz, associate professor in the School of Educational Studies. \u201cShe lifts others up and is a phenomenal representation of the University\u2019s mission and values.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, the Husky 100 recognizes 100 UW undergraduate and graduate students from the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses who are making the most of their time at the University. The recipients \u2014 like Radzi \u2014 all actively connect what happens inside and outside of the classroom and apply what they learn to make a difference on and off campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using many life lessons <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Growing up as a Muslim, female and person of color, Radzi says she never felt seen as a whole person in the classroom. \u201cI grew up in schools where my religion and identity were, and still are, misrepresented,\u201d she said. \u201cI received negative presumptions from people and was called derogatory names such as \u2018terrorist,\u2019 even in the classroom where I was supposed to be safe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was these experiences that drove her to reimagine what education could and should look like for young people. \u201cI want to create a space where diversity is an asset,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spring 2021 graduate in Elementary Education, Radzi spent time while at UW Bothell working as a student teacher with first graders at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Seattle. She made it a point to bring her students\u2019 backgrounds and cultures in the classroom. \u201cI made sure they knew that it\u2019s their different perspectives and ideas that make the world amazing,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radzi also draws on her life experiences to imagine more than just better teaching for people in marginalized communities. \u201cI cannot wait to watch Ana lead educational change,\u201d Hintz said. \u201cShe stands for everyone and everything UW strives to be in our region and in our world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leveraging her empathy <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A non-traditional student at UW Bothell, Radzi did not immediately attend college in the United States after graduating high school. Instead, she traveled to Saudi Arabia to study Arabic at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. She spent six years in the program with students from all over the world and says it has greatly informed her approach to teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving lived and studied as a non-native speaker, I came across presumptions of being uneducated, and I struggled to communicate basic needs like asking for directions,\u201d Radzi said. \u201cI now am able to empathize what emergent bilinguals undergo and can use that experience to make me a more effective educator.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While studying abroad, she was also challenged to rethink aspects of her culture. \u201cMy friends in the program talked to me about concepts such as poverty and ageism and the way many Americans use the narrative associated with them to belittle others,\u201d she said. \u201cThrough these interactions with people of different cultures and values, I gained a new perspective on life and became more open-minded.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all she gained in Saudi Arabia, Radzi says her return to the U.S. led to a feeling of emptiness. \u201cI realized that I still had a lot to learn about teaching,\u201d she said, \u201cand I decided to fill this void by pursuing my studies in elementary education at UW Bothell.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking for the voiceless <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the classrooms Radzi had been in as a child, she said her professors at UW Bothell made sure people of different races, culture, religions, gender identities and sexuality were represented in course materials. Her professor Dr. Hintz, for example, honors mathematicians such as Dudley Weldon Woodard who was the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics and established the mathematics graduate program at Howard University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radzi said this made her feel both seen and valued. \u201cI realized that there are people who look like me, who have been able to reach their goals and who make a positive impact in life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In part because she felt empowered as a student at UW Bothell, Radzi quickly stepped into the role of community advocate through her involvement with the Chancellor\u2019s Advisory Committee for Students, a group charged with advising UW Bothell Chancellor Wolf Yeigh on a variety of issues impacting the student body. Dean Wilson met Radzi through her service on the committee and said her curiosity, thoughtfulness and commitment to justice made her one of the group\u2019s more exceptional leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer opinion carried significant influence among her committee peers,\u201d he said. \u201cAna\u2019s insights on issues such as how the institution should proceed with commencement in the midst of a pandemic and her thoughts on aspects of a new residence hall opening in spring 2023 represent just two of the impactful issues she has weighed in on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radzi also served on the Professional Education Advisory Board for the School of Educational Studies \u2014 and again made real impact. \u201cAna brings her perspective and life experiences into these spaces to inform and help shape a wide range of issues including policies and decisions such as new housing on campus and diversity training for community-based education partners in our region,\u201d Hintz said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I get to be inside some of these spaces with Ana, I am inspired by the way she navigates different settings with a consistent concern for more equitable education.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a symbol of strength <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the pandemic hit, Radzi and her family of six were greatly affected. \u201cWe were limited by technology, internet, food and other basic needs,\u201d Radzi said. \u201cI reached out to neighbors and families within the Seattle area through online forums, and it saddened me to find that the injustices were communal.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than surrendering to the hardship, Radzi rose to leadership. \u201cI became determined to advocate my concerns for my family and the society, so I represented Seattle Housing Authority and its low-income residents in a meeting with the superintendent and board members of Seattle Public Schools to discuss the injustices we were facing,\u201d she said. \u201cI pressed on issues that have been prominent within education and other contexts related to our well-being.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radzi now hopes to use her background, life experiences and education to become an asset to the world. \u201cI see myself in the years to come advocating for underrepresented voices and taking lead of workshops and trainings to help educators provide impactful experiences,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope to be able to incorporate my insights into equity and equality in the curriculum and my teaching methods for all students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I want to offer encouragement to any parents reading this,\u201d she added. \u201cI want to let you know that if you want an education \u2014 you can do it. There is such a big support system at UW Bothell, and the community is there for you to help you succeed.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Husky 100 recipient Ana Radzi stands out because of the way she commits herself to learning and to the learning of others. As a Muslim, female and person of color, Radzi sees herself not just as a teacher but as someone who can make students believe that they can reach their dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[209,202,211,200,204],"tags":[],"school":[418],"class_list":["post-20550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-news","category-honors-and-awards","category-profiles","category-students","school-school-of-educational-studies"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nThe pursuit of a dream - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/07\/28\/pursuit-of-dream\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The pursuit of a dream - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Husky 100 recipient Ana Radzi stands out because of the way she commits herself to learning and to the learning of others. 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