About me

hamzahhenshaw-profile

About Hamzah

Born and raised in Boston, Hamzah Henshaw accepted Islam in 1994 while attending St. Mark’s, a suburban boarding school in Southborough, MA that his father and grandfather attended before him. He is a 2001 graduate of Harvard College, where he concentrated in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with a minor in economics. While at Harvard, he served as the editor of the Let’s Go Italy & Let’s Go Middle East travel guides. In 2005, he completed the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA) program at the American University in Cairo, a fully-funded year of intensive Arabic study. In 2010, he received his Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Hamzah began his career in the field of Islamic Finance, working for Rockefeller and Company, the asset management division of the Rockefeller family in New York and Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as a financial analyst at Oasis Asset Management, a shari’a-compliant investment firm in Cape Town, South Africa. In the spring of 2003, Hamzah transitioned to the field of education. He has taught at the Islamic Academy of New England in Sharon, Wesgreen International School in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and the American Language Center in Rabat, Morocco. From 2006-2013, Hamzah worked at Fay School in Southborough, the country’s oldest junior boarding school. At Fay, Hamzah served as the Director of the International Summer School, taught ESL, English, and History to grades 6-9, coached tennis, and served as a dorm parent. Since 2013, he has been right here at Al-Noor Academy. While his official title is Dean of Students and Humanities, his main roles at ANA include teaching 6th, 9th, and 10th grade English, overseeing the dual enrollment program, and serving as the college/guidance counselor for the high school students. He lives in Mansfield with his wife, Ruheena, and their two adorable children, Sumayya and Ilyas.

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