Beirut’s power outages couldn’t stop Mona Alameddine from learning, and now she expects the same determination from her students.
“Five, four—backpacks off the floor.”
Within seconds, phones are stashed, conversations fade, and all eyes turn to the front of the room. In Alameddine’s West Broward High School classroom, structure is everything. Yet, Alameddine’s juniors and seniors quickly learn that algebra isn’t the only lesson they will learn.
Many students call her strict.
But in Alameddine’s class, discipline is about control—it’s about opportunity.
With classes made mostly of majority seniors, Alameddine views her classroom as a space where students can strengthen their math skills and advance their academic footing for education beyond high school.
“I give them chances,” she said. “But they must put in the effort.”
In her class, rules are more than rules, but a reflection of her own experience.
Alameddine, 64, grew up during the Lebanese Civil War, a 15-year conflict marked by sectarian rivalries, clashes between political groups, and years of foreign occupation by Syria and Israel that resulted in an estimated 150,000 deaths and the displacement of over a million people, before leaving the country with her family in 1987.
Receiving her early primary and secondary education in French, Alameddine had to later transition entirely into English education, a choice largely influenced by the city’s demarcation between predominantly Muslim West Beirut and predominantly Christian East Beirut.
“English is my third language. After high school, I was supposed to go to a French university, but because of the war, I couldn’t go because of the dangers. So I went to the American University of Beirut, which was a prestigious university, but I went from all French education to entirely English education with just a few hours of conversational English from middle and high school,” said Alameddine.
She later graduated with two bachelor’s degrees in nutrition and dietetics and health education.
“We were driven. We believed in education as the key to a brighter future,” she said. “The value of education was very instilled in my brothers and me, to the point our parents even kept our report cards ready to go in case the family needed to flee.”
No matter the circumstances, education was always a priority.
“Going to school during wartime was difficult; we would have class open for one day, then closed for five, until they ended up shutting it down for the year, so we lost one academic year,” said Alameddine. “We were thrilled to be going to school, but also driven and motivated in our studies in the times we couldn’t go.”
Alameddine encourages her students to use the privilege of being in an environment free from war and danger, pushing them not only to engage in math but also to develop an optimistic mindset for life beyond high school.
“I want to see my students be motivated to reach their goals with the opportunities given to them,” said Alameddine. “In every class, you have students who do well and fail but I focus on lifting them up. I know how the real world is outside school, and I try my best to be there for them and prepare them since I mainly teach seniors.”
Felipe Amortegui, 19, who graduated last year from Alameddine’s college algebra class, recalls her efforts.
“I hated her class,” Amortegui said. “I sat next to my friends, so I found the time fun, but she would always yell at us for talking, and was strict with phones. Class was interesting. Sometimes she would discuss global events, or stories of her and her sons, so I think she just wanted us to lock in for the future and be more aware.”
With the instability around her, community nevertheless was always a focus for Alameddine. Despite power outages, water shortages, and frequent school closures, she served as a civilian rescuer and nurse for civilian aid.
After leaving Lebanon, Alameddine began a journey that would eventually lead her to the United States. She briefly lived in Cyprus and later in the United Arab Emirates before immigrating to the United States in 1988. She initially settled in Los Angeles, where she originally worked as a registered dietitian.
It wasn’t until Alameddine later in life that she switched to education to spend more time with her children.
“What I did involved teaching and guiding people,” she said. “So the teaching part felt natural to me. I chose to teach math because it was very natural to me and cut forward. In math, it’s either right or wrong, so I loved it.”
Ever since then, Alameddine has been teaching for 29 years.
“Mrs. Alameddine is a very kind and understanding teacher. She has a very tough love approach, but I understand why she was hard on us so we won’t be victims of their circumstances, which is something I don’t see many teachers do,” said Bianca Russell, 18, a senior in her class. “She also wanted her students to be more informed about things happening in the world. She recently talked about how Iranian schoolchildren were killed, so I think she wants us to appreciate our education and environment.”
Alameddine’s mission is to always put her best foot forward.
“I had a brain tumor for 20 years, almost a quarter the size of my brain,” Alameddine said. “My surgeon told me he’s never seen anything like this, and cannot understand how I was still functioning.”
The experience left her optimistic about her life and others.
After three decades in education, Alameddine revealed that her biggest joy is seeing her seniors reach the finish line of high school.
“Actually, what kept me going in teaching was seeing my seniors,” she said. “I feel like I’m giving them that last push.”
Beyond academics, Alameddine hopes her students learn about their character and role within society. Being a good representation of Muslim women in education is also an important motivator for Alameddine.
“Many students are skeptical when they first see me,” Alameddine said. “Many students think I am a substitute, especially on the first day, but I put in the effort for them to realize that I am a caring teacher who is here to help them improve, whether that is math or other things.”
“I don’t want people to be judged based on the way they look,” she said. “I want actions to reflect who you are.”
For Alameddine, the goal is simple.
“I just try to be the best I can be every day,” she said.
