By Nedaat Masiat ’26
If you walk into the preschool classroom at TEAM Early Education on any random morning, you’ll probably hear Ruma Chowdhury before you see her. She’s always laughing with the kids, helping someone tie a shoe, or guiding a hand through a messy art project. The room feels warm and loud in the best way, similar to how the house used to be when her children were little. And at the center of all that energy is Ruma, who has been a preschool teacher for fourteen years and somehow still shows up every day with the same gentle enthusiasm.
Ruma came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about twenty years ago. She was young, newly married, and barely spoke English. She always says she “didn’t know exactly what she was walking into; she just hoped for a better life.” Teaching wasn’t her original plan, but after lots of babysitting, she realized she loved working with little kids. She also loves the small moments, watching a kid learn to write their name or calming someone down after a bad morning.
Being an immigrant and a single mom has shaped the way she works with families. She knows what it’s like to start over, or to feel like you have to figure everything out alone. At school, she works with families from all backgrounds, and she makes sure they feel seen.
At home, her sons, Adyeat Masiat and Sidrat Ali, see the version of her that her students don’t: how tired she is after a long day, how she carries home the stories of kids who are struggling. Ali, the oldest sibling, says, “I have so much admiration for her. She gives everything at work and still gives everything to us.”
When asked why she keeps doing this job, she didn’t even hesitate. “Hope,” she said. “You never know how much a small moment can matter to a child.” And honestly, that’s visible in her every day. Whether she’s comforting a crying toddler or celebrating when someone finally masters their alphabet, she treats each moment like it has weight.
Her classroom is a reflection of who she is: bright, patient, and full of possibility. For the kids at TEAM, she’s not only their preschool teacher. She’s the person who helps them feel safe, special, and capable, even when they’re only three to five years old. Watching her do all of that, day after day, serves as a reminder of how powerful it can be when someone chooses to show up with kindness, regardless of how hard life has been.
The Raider Press 