Shazia Ali

I grew up in a family where learning and education were as essential as breathing. Every thing we did was measured by what we had learned. In an attempt to learn, I roamed the streets of Pakistan in my late teens working as a journalist for one of the leading English newspapers. My experiences were varied, but the foremost thing I learned was that humans and humanity can almost never be defined. I got married and wandered to Dallas, Texas. In an attempt to quench my thirst for learning I decided to go back to school, earning my Bachelors degree (Magna cum Laude) and my Masters (with Distinctions).

I am now working on my PhD and walking the fine line between being a student and a teacher. Passion for writing led me from journalism to literature, which is just a hair's breath away from the other. My Honors thesis was on Gothic heroines, my Master's portfolio on Holocaust literature, and my PhD fields are British and American Novels. Diversity and interdisciplinary goals have always guided my steps, and I would have wandered some more if I hadn't met a professor who stopped me in my tracks, and said, “The best way to learn is to teach.”

I had finally found my niche. Teaching Humanities is a wonderful way to explore, and now I never wander alone. My students have taught me probably as much as I might have taught them. And the learning goes on: for me and for my students.