Gulnaz Saeed  Gulnaz Saeed 

After being raised in a traditional Pakistani environment, marrying at age 20 and raising three children, Gulnaz Saeed experienced her dreams thirty years later as a CCM student, early childhood education teacher, personal advocate, and humanitarian.  

Throughout her childhood Saeed was instructed by her father, “the best path in life is to get a good education, good husband, have children, and then raise children while staying at home. In Pakistan, he sent me to an English school so I can one day help my children with their homework.”  

Saeed is proud to have accomplished this goal from a different viewpoint than anticipated. “As my children grew, I went to their schools and loved the system in the USA. I saw diverse cultures, values, traditions, and an amazing educational system,” exclaims the at-home mother of three. “As I volunteered at my children’s school, I not only helped my kids learn, but I also learned a lot myself. I was introduced to social-emotional education as well and I loved it!” 

Saeed began teaching part-time at The Sunday School, a small, non-profit center that is affiliated with her mosque. She used her earnings to finance her enrollment at CCM to complete the Child Development Associate (CDA) Educational Endorsement certificate. This three-course series is the first step toward a child-related career such as a substitute teacher, paraprofessional or preschool teacher in a daycare center. With this new credential, Saeed’s confidence soared as she continued to teach PreK-3 at her community center.  

It wasn’t until years later when her daughter met Dr. Melissa Kasmin, assistant professor of  Psychology and Education, and Faculty Special Projects Coordinator for the Early Childhood Education Program at CCM, that Saeed’s dream began to come to fruition. Kasmin took Saeed under her wing to guide her through the child and family studies associate degree program.

“Dr. Kasmin explained the process and the requirements for the courses. She encouraged me to just try to take one course at a time if it is what I wanted,” says Saeed. It was a challenge for me to go back to school, but I took her summer class and loved every moment of it. I was in awe.” With the monetary earnings from The Sunday School, Saeed could now afford to pay for the 60-credit program, since her husband refused to help finance.

Saeed recalls, “My children supported me and stood by me in my educational journey. Dr. Kasmin not only helped me get started, but also encouraged, scaffold, facilitated, and guided me to succeed in graduating this Spring of 2022 (God willingly).”

Gulnaz Saeed currently maintains a 3.97 GPA, earned Dean’s List, and is a member of the Phi Kappa Theta Honor Society. “Every professor I had at CCM was not only a wonderful professor, but also a very committed, kind, understanding, and helpful individual as well, who genuinely cared for every single student to truly succeed.”

She has transformed her mosque’s childcare center into an innovative teaching and learning environment. She has formed a professional group, Teachers Co-Lab, to enable her colleagues to collaborate creative strategies and solve problems within their non-profit budget. She led the team to complete training through the New Jersey Workforce Registry and Grow NJ Kids to earn grants up to $6,000. Most recently, the Sunday School recently earned The Creative Curriculum by Teaching Strategies aligning the center’s standards with any upscale daycare. Saeed says she advocates for every child who enters the center and supports each team member to pursue their dreams.

“I started my academic career to be a teacher, but today I am much more than just a teacher. I am an advocator for each student at our center, I am a supporter of each of my teammates to pursue their dreams, I point others to the path that leads to their dreams; therefore, I am a leader,” says Saeed with confidence. “This is the only beginning of my journey to help and lead all who need guidance and help to achieve their dreams. I am very thankful to all my professors, all the staff members, and admins at CCM.”