Meet the FACEs: Rania Agaib at LEAD Academy and LEAD Cameron
Meet Rania Agaib, the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) coordinator at both LEAD Academy High School and LEAD Cameron middle school in South Nashville. Rania began working at LEAD as an office manager in 2012 and was appointed FACE coordinator last year.
Alongside colleagues Erin Molitoris (LEAD Southeast middle and high), John Strickland (LEAD Brick Church) and Blanca Cross (LEAD Neely’s Bend), Rania’s chief responsibility is to represent the interests and desires of our families to our schools and build strong connections to support them and their students.
“Our job is to provide the avenues for authentic relationships to develop and for families to see better opportunities for themselves in our schools,” said Corey Burton, LEAD’s Director of Enrollment and Family Engagement.
On Rania, he said, “I have had the pleasure of working with Rania for more than five years and have this quote that comes to mind in thinking about how she shows ‘commitment’ to LEAD: ‘Each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.’
“Rania serves empathetically and authentically; consistently placing the needs of others above her own, and doing so in genuine appreciation of the connectedness of people. Because of this, everyone that gets the chance to interact and work with Rania, leaves feeling valued.”
Here’s Rania in her own words.
What does it mean for you to be a FACE coordinator in our schools?
It means promoting family’s involvement in their child’s education; supporting and promoting a partnership with other schools, parents and the community; and to ensuring that families are aware of their best options for their kids school.
What’s your educational background?
Bachelor’s in Graphic Design from Austin Peay State University.
What is your favorite part about your job in family and community engagement?
Being able to assist families choose the best school option for their children that would enable their students to excel in their next step or school.
Why do you work at LEAD?
Because we believe in a better future for our students and so do I.
What does it mean to you to help “families take the LEAD”?
Helping families take the LEAD means a great deal to me. Given my background, I can directly relate to students of working parents who also do not speak the language. Having someone that can help parents connect to support their children with their education and learning experience in a completely different setting is very important.
Name an Ethos that means something to you and please briefly describe why.
Serving others. I’ve always been passionate about helping and serving others whenever I can. If we learn to serve others, we’d have a better community that supports and better one another instead of competing to see who can do better.
What are seven words that best describe you?
Strong-willed, independent, organized, team-player, serving others, committed, flexible.
What are five words that best describe our network?
I can’t think of anything better than our Ethos. Our networks practices these beliefs on a daily basis, everywhere: Serve Others, Committed, Disciplined, Self-Reliant and Courageous.
