Fazel Ahad Ahadi

Fazel Ahad Ahadi is no stranger to the classroom. He’s currently serving as both a visiting professor at the University of Chicago and an Adult Education student at City Colleges of Chicago.

Originally from Afghanistan, Fazel built his career as a professor and the founder of the Screenwriting Department at the University of Kabul. When his home city fell to the Taliban, a group of academics around the world stepped in to ensure Fazel could continue to share his gift of teaching with others.

With their support, the Ahadi family first received asylum in Germany, but there were no professional opportunities for Fazel there. That’s when they decided to relocate to Chicago, where Fazel had been offered a position at the University of Chicago. Fazel “couldn’t even speak two words of English” at the time, so he asked the Hyde Park Refugee Project (HPRP), which had furnished his family’s apartment and connected them to other resources, for help finding a class.

“HPRP told me that the best option for attending English language learning classes is City Colleges,” Fazel said. “They took me to one of the City Colleges for confirmation and registration.”

While on campus, Fazel was able to enroll in an online class with Instructor Marcus Wolfe at Wright College.

“I entered the class and heard the voice of a kind man who told me ‘Fazel, welcome to my English class,’” he said. “On that first day of class, I found Mr. Wolfe to be a kind and capable teacher, and after that day, my English class became my second home.”

Fazel knows what it’s like to be in Mr. Wolfe’s shoes. He is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago. Starting in December 2022, he began delivering several lectures on Afghan cinema and was able to introduce Afghan cinema and poetry to students and other professors. Today, he’s participated in more than 30 lectures at the university. Still, Fazel is impressed by Mr. Wolfe and his dedication to his students.

“Mr. Wolfe’s teaching system is excellent,” he said. “He provides opportunities for students to talk and encourages us to be more involved. I have 17 years of university teaching experience, and I consider Mr. Wolfe’s lesson system to be the best. I love this teaching method and the student-centered approach.”

One unique aspect of Mr. Wolfe’s class is that he incorporates lessons about the U.S. Constitution into the class curriculum. The Constitution Test is mandatory for anyone that wants to receive their Illinois High School Diploma, and many of his students hope to eventually do just that. The instruction helped Fazel pass the Constitution Test, which in turn inspired his 12-year-old daughter to take—and pass—the exam herself.

Learning more about their new country and its language was important to Fazel and his family as they adjusted to life in Chicago. Though he admits the first days of their lives here were difficult, he says they received help from friends and community members, and they are now hopeful for the future. Four of the five Ahadi children are enrolled at Chicago Public Schools, where they’re practicing their English, and they also get plenty of practice at home with tutors and through TV and movies.

“I think knowing the language is one of the most important necessities of life,” Fazel said.

Beyond holding conversations with family and friends, Fazel has another goal for mastering the language—he wants to be able to teach in English. Currently a level four English as a Second Language (ESL) student, he hopes he can learn enough to be able to deliver lectures in English in 2024.