After graduating with a bachelor's degree in English literature, Dr. Afie Mirshah-Nayar found herself at a crossroads. Trying various entry-level positions in publishing and journalism left her unfulfilled until a chance decision to try substitute teaching changed everything.

I became a substitute in Prince George's County, and I'll never forget my first day of work. The lady at the main office said, 'Okay, we're going to put you in so-and-so's class.' Somebody else in the main office said, 'Oh, you can't put her in that class. Those kids are horrible!'

Her response was telling: "I said, 'Well then, those are the kids I want. Put me in that class.'" That classroom experience with students labeled as "horrible" revealed both her passion for teaching and her need for professional training during her long-term substitute teaching.

Finding Her Path at American University

This realization led her to American University's School of Education, where she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MAT:ESOL) in January 2000. What began as a suggestion from a counselor became a perfect fit.

"I would have never known to even explore that if it hadn't been for a counselor telling me this might be a good fit," Dr. Mirshah-Nayar explains. "I took one or two of those [intro-level courses] and I immediately fell in love, and thought, 'This is where I belong!'"

The MAT:ESOL program equipped her with essential teaching skills that launched her career and continue to influence her leadership approach. "I think that I credit my degree at AU with me being the educator that I am. I wouldn't be the person I am without that degree," she said.

The impact was immediately evident in her classroom performance. "A really proud moment is when I had only been a teacher about a year when administrators were doing classroom observations," she said. "The head of my department said that after they left my classroom they said, 'Well, that's clearly a master teacher.' That's about one year in! I was doing everything that AU taught me to do."

A Career of Growth and Impact

Dr. Mirshah-Nayar's career trajectory demonstrates her commitment to growth and service. Starting as a high school ESL teacher, she moved to central office positions before becoming an assistant principal at Richard Montgomery High School. Her leadership abilities led to principalships at Largo High School and Paint Branch High Schools in Maryland.

Today, as the Director of School Administration and Instructional Leadership for Frederick County Public Schools, she supervises 14 high schools, including specialty schools for virtual learning, career technical education, and alternative and charter programs.

Throughout these transitions, she has maintained her identity as an educator.

When I went to school administration, I looked at myself as still a teacher. But now I'm not teaching students, I'm teaching the adults in the building. Right now, the way that I approach my job as a director is that I'm building the capacity of my principals. So now I'm the teacher for my principals. But I think of myself as a teacher through and through in everything that I do.

Leading Through Challenges

Dr. Mirshah-Nayar's leadership was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic when she began her role as principal of Paint Branch High School.

I had to go to a community that didn't know me at all, didn't know who I was, and for the first year and a half only saw me on a computer screen. Dealing with my school, Paint Branch, a school where a lot of our families were first responders out working, dealing with large infection rates, spread rates... Getting our school to be a mass vaccination site, doing COVID testing in the hallways at lunch and doing COVID testing in large numbers with the staff. What a challenge!

Her efforts to build relationships during this challenging time earned her a nomination for Principal of the Year. "Students, staff, and parents wrote letters, and I have a copy of those letters. While I did not win the award—I was a finalist—it still meant more to me than anything else. Knowing how hard I had to work to build those relationships, to gain that trust, that's probably the thing that I take away that I was able to do that through very difficult circumstances."

Creating Inclusive Educational Environments

Dr. Mirshah-Nayar's MAT:ESOL background instilled a commitment to serving diverse learners. "All of the schools I've worked in have been very diverse. We have a responsibility to teach all kids and to be able to differentiate to meet their needs," she emphasizes.

This philosophy guided her approach to inclusive programming. At Largo High School, she implemented an autism program that became a district model. "We studied it. We had six months to do that. When the students came, I felt like we were ready," she explains. "We made sure they were integrated, we made sure our teachers knew how to meet their needs in the general education setting."

The program's success came from intentional community building. "The kids had best buddies, and they made friends, and they got involved in sports and clubs. Winning them and their families over was the work of the entire staff."

Looking Forward

In her current role, Dr. Mirshah-Nayar is excited about new literacy initiatives. "We're really excited about some of the work we're doing around literacy at the high school level," she shares. "The principals did a whole literacy study all year. We read a lot of articles about literacy at the secondary level and in content areas."

For current education students considering leadership roles, she offers heartfelt encouragement: "I think the best decision I ever made is to go into education. It's the most rewarding, I think, career that you could have... where you can make a difference every day for kids."

Though practical benefits like retirement plans and work-life balance are important, her advice centers on purpose. "I think there's no career better than education, if you approach the work with the right mindset."

As Dr. Mirshah-Nayar reflects on her 25-years of education from American University graduate to educational leader, her gratitude for her AU foundation remains steadfast. "It was probably the best time of my life—when I was a teacher—and I really got to use everything that I learned at AU hands-on in the classroom.”

For those considering the field, her message is clear: "I think it's the most rewarding career that you could ever have."

• AU's Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Frederick County Public Schools