Saad Selim: More than a Sub

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By Riley Gore & Blake Leonard

Although Saad Selim may seem like like just another substitute, there is more to him than meets the eye. Selim was born and raised in Mosul, Iraq, a city controlled by ISIS as of June 2014, and lived in Baghdad most of his life.

In Iraq, Selim attended The University of Technology of Baghdad and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering and Avionics. He owned his own HVAC Heating and Cooling company in Baghdad and spent his time travelling Iraq working as a contractor for the United States Army. He travelled from base-to-base fixing walk-in coolers and air conditioning units, and even worked on United States Airplanes.

Selim came to the United States in 2007 with his wife who worked at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, and children on a Special Immigrant Visa issued by the U.S. State Department. Selim has worked as a substitute for Dexter Community Schools and Ann Arbor Public Schools. He originally started teaching at both middle schools and high schools, but has recently moved to high school only. His favorite subjects are Math and Science, and really enjoys helping students.

“I love teaching [those] subjects because those subjects are what I have my degrees in,” he said. As much as Selim likes helping out students, he also really enjoys when students speak with him outside of the classroom.

“It makes me so happy when a student in one of my classes approaches me to say hi when I’m at the mall or other places in downtown Ann Arbor. “They make me smile,” he said. So next you time see Saad Selim in the hallways, in or outside of the classroom, make sure to say hello.

Selim loves his current job as a substitute teacher, however he is currently looking for something more.

“Subbing is nice, however I am looking for a more long-term teaching job, or another job that is more related to my degrees.”

“He’s an engaging and introspective influence in the classroom,” senior Mac Guise said. “Usually when a teacher is not present, the class is distracted and off topic, but when someone is as respected as Mr. Selim is, it really provides a great dynamic in the classroom.”