Basmala Zyada is a senior at the City College of New York, majoring in English with a minor in secondary education. This summer, she is interning with CCRC as an S Jay Levy Fellow, working as a research assistant on the program choice project, which probes how and why community college students choose their majors. In this Q&A, Zyada shares her journey in the humanities, her creative writing endeavors, and her experiences navigating the world of educational research.
This Q&A has been edited and condensed.
Lauren Lawler: Can you tell me about yourself?
Basmala Zyada: Sure! I’m a rising senior at City College, majoring in English with a minor in secondary education. By the time I graduate, I will be certified to teach grades 7 through 12 in the state of New York.
Lawler: What are some of your passions outside of work?
Zyada: I do a bit of creative writing on the side. I was part of a professional development program for young women of color aspiring to be writers. So, technically, some of my work is published, but it’s from when I was 15, so please don’t look me up!
Lawler: Is that what led you to choose your major?
Zyada: I committed to being an English major in my first semester of college. My advisor gave me a bit of grief, but I knew I wanted to do something in the humanities and English felt right. When my family and I immigrated here from Egypt, I was about six and didn't speak English. My ESL teacher encouraged me to read a lot, and I loved it. I was always reading, even when I probably shouldn’t have been. While my teachers explained what a metamorphic rock was, I had my head buried in a book. It grew into a passion, and by high school, I realized I enjoyed analyzing literature. The creative writing started as a way to channel that angsty teenage energy, and I found I was good at it.
Lawler: How have your interests influenced your work at CCRC?
Zyada: My background in English and creative writing helps me appreciate the nuances in the equity research and programs we discuss. I enjoy the sociological and political aspects of it all. The dichotomic viewpoints of a literary lens versus an educational policy and research lens make for an interesting comparison.
Lawler: What projects are you working on at CCRC?
Zyada: I’m working on a project called Program Choice, which looks at how and why community college students choose their majors. My role mostly involves background work, like note-taking during interviews with faculty. Recently, I’ve been summarizing articles on course modality preferences, as I am perhaps more familiar with the fluidity of this topic than my older team members. I started college in the fall of 2021 when we were, as a society, newly recovering from the pandemic. Much of my first year was online, which has given me unique insights into the challenges and preferences of students navigating online and in-person learning environments.
Lawler: How does your decision-making process compare to that of community college students?
Zyada: Many community college students are older and more goal oriented, often seeking retraining or promotion opportunities. In contrast, I was 18 and uncertain about my path and what I wanted to get out of life, especially during the pandemic, when guidance was limited. I had to do a lot of fumbling around on my own to get to where I’m at, which I’m sure is a feeling that is shared by community college students.
Lawler: What have you learned from your time as a research assistant?
Zyada: Research is much slower paced than I expected. There is a lot of background work and back-and-forth communication that goes into it, which is time consuming. It’s allowed me to learn more technical skills such as writing a literary review or a brief or how to conduct an interview. However, it’s far removed from being in a classroom, which was an adjustment for me coming from hands-on experience as a substitute paraprofessional. It’s different, which I guess makes me more interested in exploring the in-betweens. For example, who is taking a 20-page research paper and making it applicable within classrooms for teachers? This experience has made me curious about how research is translated into practical applications in education.
Lawler: How has your time at CCRC influenced your postgraduate or career goals?
Zyada: While I’ve appreciated my time here, I’ve realized I don’t want a traditional office job or a hands-on classroom role. CCRC has pointed me in the direction of something in between. I’m interested in finding a middle ground, possibly in policy or another aspect of education.
Lawler: What has been your favorite part of interning at CCRC, what has been the most challenging?
Zyada: I enjoy the connections I’ve made with people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Many people here have graduated from City College, so it’s nice to be in a space where I can share and reflect on similar experiences. As for the most challenging part, that has been adjusting to joining projects mid-way and trying to catch up on context and details. The project I’m working on, at least, is in year two out of three. Sometimes in team meanings, I’ll nod along even when I’m lost. However, it has been useful to be thrown in an environment like this, as it forces me to pick up the pace and figure things out as I go.