Linda Farhood-Karasavva (Photo by Maria Rocha-Buschel)
By Maria Rocha-Buschel
When Stuyvesant Town resident Linda Farhood-Karasavva began teaching English in the 1970s, she spent more of her time speaking Arabic.
Farhood-Karasavva, who was recently given the Distinguished Teaching Award by the Schools of Public Engagement at the New School, currently teaches writing for the university’s English as a second language (ESL) program but she began her career in Morocco when she joined the Peace Corps in 1976, communicating primarily in Arabic.
She knew she wanted to be a teacher when she went to college, but the slight detour in the volunteer program worked out in her favor.
“That’s where I got my training and then it was the easiest job for me to get when I got back,” she said of her service.
After being on the waiting list for 10 years, Farhood-Karasavva got her long-awaited apartment in Stuyvesant Town after she returned from Morocco.
Farhood-Karasavva received the recent award at the New School’s commencement, which was held on May 20 at the Javits Center.