LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Faiha Al-Atrash

Position: Parent Coordinator
School: International Newcomer Academy
School District: Fort Worth Independent School District
City, State: Fort Worth, TX

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Music that Describes Faiha

Faiha Al-Atrash was nominated by her colleague, Kathryn Lemmons.

There are hundreds of reasons why Ms. Al-Atrash is a LifeChanger, but one reason stands out the most. On April 19, 2019, a middle school student was attacked on her way to her bus stop in the morning. Through the struggle, the young girl managed to get away and run to her bus. The bus driver immediately called 9-1-1 and the young girl's school, International Newcomer Academy, to alert everyone to the seriousness of the situation.

Ms. Al-Atrash was one of the first people at the bus to hold and calm the girl while waiting for the ambulance. She was the one who had to go to the young girl's home to tell her mother about the horrible situation. This young girl was in ICU for some time, and eventually sent to Dallas to wait for a heart transplant.

During this ordeal, Ms. Al-Atrash organized a Go Fund Me to help the family; the father had to take a leave of absence during the hospitalization. She was instrumental in getting this family the help and money they needed during this tragedy. In addtion, the family's vehicle broke down, and Ms. Al-Atrash was able to find a donor to give them a new van.

"The support and dedication Faiha has for the the families at my school is beyond comprehension," said Lemmons. "She is always finding donors to support families in need, give food to students for the weekends during the summer, and donations so our students can go on field trips. She is tireless. For all of these reasons, I believe she deserves to be recognized as a LifeChanger."

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Comments (5)

Wende Dwyer-Johnsen Posted over a year ago

Faiha Al-Atrash is a significant presence not only at the International Newcomers Academy (a FWISD school), but also in the Fort Worth community as a whole. She works tirelessly for the students she serves at INA. She supports and encourages students in all aspects of life - academic achievement, language development, assimilation into the community, social interaction, athletic endeavors and the arts. She is constantly looking for ways to pro-actively care for the students and their families. She learns the personal stories and situations of the students. She personally reaches out to all the families she works with, creating a wonderful connection between the newcomer families and the school. Faiha is professional and gracious in every way. She promotes the dignity of every student and every family she works with. She is really an ambassador for Fort Worth. There is no better person than her to be the face of Fort Worth welcoming families and children to our community.

Julien Cirrincione Posted over a year ago

Faiha is a woman of seemingly limitless energy, and she has a heart "as big as Texas". She is always looking for ways to help the students and their families for whom she is responsible. She is not reticent when asking for help, nor is she reticent when expressing her gratitude. She deserves this award because she is already a Lifechanger.

Ingrid Williams Posted over a year ago

I am super excited about Mrs, Al-Atrash and the recognition she is receiving for her servant's heart. She is always supportive of all students and goes above and beyond as a student advocate. She is the "village" for so many students who are in need of and, most importantly, deserving of compassion and understanding, In so many ways, Mrs. Al-Atrash is indeed a life changer. She instills hope in students and even goes so far to tracks their academic success and achievement when they transition to Success High School. She has also been instrumental in finding community resources for us. KUDOS to my friend and servant leader!!! Blessing always!

Elodia Escamilla Posted over a year ago

The school I work for is housed in the same building as International Newcomer Academy where Ms. Al-Atrash works. From day one of me stepping into the building I noticed the work Ms. Al-Atrash did with the entire school community--students, parents, teachers. Ms. Al-Atrash helps everyone. When she sees a need she works with compassionate and focused intent to fulfill that need. I wished she worked for our campus, but deep down I know she would never leave the students and families who need her and benefit from all of her efforts. Ms. Al-Atrash is definitely a Life-Changer who should be recognized for all she does.

Samuel Jacob Posted over a year ago

Great story , FAIHA is a long standing friend and she deserve the best . She is an outstanding person with high ethical values . Sam