Staff Member

As YAMA’s Educational services programs were created to meet the needs of a growing Yemeni American population across New York City. We are thrilled to announce our new YAMA team member Nagi Alsubai, the Director of Education!
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The Director of Education will oversee and direct the planning, organizing, and implementation of YAMA’s adult, youth, and college readiness programming. YAMA’s adult programming consists of ESL classes for women and men to prepare them for GED, college enrollment, career opportunities, and citizenship classes. YAMA’s youth services offer support and youth leadership development in an inclusive environment for youth to see their full potential to learn and grow as leaders. YAMA’s college readiness program provides one on one support for high school students to ensure high college enrollment of Yemeni American youth no matter their socio-economic standing.

Nagi born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Nagi became very attentive to the American education system growing up. Despite being raised in NYC, he also spent several years in Yemen where he grew fond of his native roots and culture while obtaining early childhood and adolescent education. After returning from his life in Yemen in 2007, Nagi attended high school in his birthplace of Downtown Brooklyn where he excelled in his English courses by being placed in Honors and Advanced Placement classes. In his spare time, he helped tutor his family members and Arabic-speaking friends with learning English and their academics.

Nagi then attended CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2011 where not only did he graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in English, but learned how to navigate through college by joining academic and professional departments on campus such as The Urban Male Initiative at John Jay College, Muslim Student Association and CUNY Service Corps. These all gave Nagi the skills and opportunities to gain professional experience and employment through CUNY in college advisement and guidance roles. It was there that he developed a passion for education and helping the youth navigate through college life.

In 2017, Nagi went on to pursue a teaching career where he taught Early Childhood in a private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. A year later, he became a Middle School English Teacher with the NYC Department of Education and taught in public schools in Brooklyn while simultaneously working to obtain his Master’s degree in Secondary Education-English from CUNY Brooklyn College. Despite teaching regular students in an everyday classroom, Nagi also utilized his teaching skills and time to help the Yemeni students enrolled in his school and classes through curriculum modification and translational services. He also provided parental outreach and translational services for the parents of those students. By doing so, Nagi was aiding in attempting to bridge the gap between the American education system and the Yemeni community members that struggled to adapt to it.

Throughout his career in education, he has consistently encouraged academic success by addressing issues with innovative solutions, connecting students to crucial resources, and offering individualized, empathetic support. To achieve positive outcomes, Nagi utilizes his knowledge of academic programs, college admissions, and barriers to academic success combined with his experience and passion for maximizing student potential.