I always start out by saying something like “Natasha Feghali is …” but as you read this interview, you’ll see that she has anything but a single focus.
We all admire people who aspire to change the world – here is a young lady who is actively changing those things that she can and has travelled around the world to do it.
Doug: My first question is always the same. Can you recall when our paths first crossed?
Natasha: I am not sure when I met you. I have known you for so long now and I am a big fan of yours. I met you at least in 2009 when I started teaching somewhere and somehow. Doug is a big inspiration to the teaching community and certainly someone I would turn to when I have an issue in my career.
Doug: Natasha and I had the same employer at one point. Perhaps a New Teacher session?
A person can’t follow you for long on Social Media before they find a picture of you working out somewhere. I know that this is a life passion for you. Can you share your journey and give suggestions to anyone who wants to follow in your footprints?
Natasha: SO I really love exercising and it is a really big part of my life. I enjoy the health and vitality that it gives me. As you know Doug, I love to eat and I really enjoy going out for meals that can become very caloric in nature. Therefore I find a good balance between it all is that someone needs to be really healthy. I believe in drinking sufficient amounts of water, eating breakfast and fasting in the evenings.
Doug: As a result, you have a really interesting goal for 2×23 related to exercise.
Natasha: Yes I do. I am trying all the new workout classes I can to get out of my comfort zone. I enjoy being active and trying various things and getting familiar with different activities that I had not been previously privy to or tried.
Doug: OK, another thing that I have to ask about. You recently became a Fellow at Stanford University – https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/summerfellows That title now forms part of your identity on social media so obviously, it’s very important to you. Can you tell us the story behind this and how you became a fellow? Please don’t sell yourself short.
Natasha: I advocate for women and equal rights so I was there to represent Lebanese women in diaspora who can not access citizenship rights for their children. This is a big passion of mine and I hope one day it will change.
Doug: I love the fact that you’re able to pursue your passion in the ways that you do.
As we were negotiating this interview, I commented that I was jealous that we were worlds apart. You’re in Kuwait and I’m walking the dog on the third. What are you doing in Kuwait?
Natasha: I am an Interventionist for literacy and math here in Kuwait with a private educational company.
Doug: Your travels continue – just this morning, you checked in from Iraq.
Natasha: Yes I was in Iraq and it was really nice and interesting. A lot of history to be told there and the people were just so hospitable and welcoming.
Doug: And you ended up on television. How cool is that? There is a great deal to this interview beyond just words.
Back here in Canada, you are a French as a Second Language educator and French Immersion teacher. Those are tough positions. As a world traveller, do you relate the importance of more than one language to your students?
Natasha: Oh YES, of course. Travel is the greatest joy of life. To see and learn from others is a wonderful joy and passion for all to experience if they can of course. But I always encourage my students to seek their passion and to travel!
Doug: English and French are not your only languages. What else do you speak fluently?
Natasha: I also speak Arabic and Croatian (semi-fluent).
Doug: Back to the jealous part, you attended the World Cup in Qatar. That had to be a lifetime experience. Can you share part of that experience with us? Did you drive or fly?
Natasha: I did attend the Canada and Croatia match. It was wonderful and the experience was so uplifting and just a real moment in time to be part of history. It was very well organized and the people, the crowds and the diversity were awesome. We flew of course but we could have driven – I am not a road trip type person.
Doug: A number of years ago, you formed the Feghali Group focused on real estate and investment. Your website indicates that you are focused on Essex County. That’s an exciting field. I have a couple of friends who went that route and did well financially. I enjoyed the interview with Sarah Larbi and you certainly talk the talk.
It seems to me that the timing is right to be in this field in Essex County. I’ve never seen so many opportunities around here. We’ve all heard the horror stories of real estate in the GTA; is Essex County a real alternative for folks wanting to escape that? What recommendations do you have for them?
Natasha: I am someone who has made a lot of mistakes in real estate and I know that they have cost me a fortune. It is sadly the reality of being a business owner and trying to own your own business and work at the same time. I love my career so it is not easy for both at the same time. I have had many horror stories that I can not speak to that at the moment but I do know that real estate investors need to be vigilant.
Doug: I’ll admit that I had to look up the term REIT. Can you explain what it is for readers and why they would want to consider it?
Natasha: This is a term we use in housing. It is for investors who are working in lending and work with other investors who are looking to work together.
Doug: You do a lot of speaking and, of course, this session that you’ve done a couple of times “How to Integrate SKYPE, TWITTER, BLOGs into Your Classroom” leaped out at me. I’ve sat in so many sessions where people talk about the technology but I can’t see you doing only this. I would suspect that you talked about making Connections using the technology and how you’ve leveraged it professionally and personally. You seem to be always on my Twitter #FollowFriday lists. Am I correct?
Natasha: Yes I am always on the list and I am so very grateful for that. I always use technology with my students and I really enjoy having that as a tool for learning. For the students, it is their future and they are native users so we as educators must find ways to integrate it into our teaching.
Doug: Amidst all this, you’ve earned your Principal’s qualifications. What are a few things from Kuwaiti schools that you’d implement if you were the principal of your own school in Canada?
Natasha: Yes, I have. The hospitality, caring family environment, educator leave policies, shorter academic year, and more intensive education for the students with many after-school activities come to mind. I find that school abroad is very different from that in Canada. Many, many things are different in both countries and in schooling.
Doug: It’s not just Kuwait. The Arubian Ministry of Education allowed this classroom visit.
Doug: In your biography, you mentioned growing up on Bruce Avenue in Windsor. Those that know Windsor (and I drove Bruce every day to work) know that it’s a one-way street. Has the achievement of your career goals been a straightforward one-way trip or have there been detours along the way?
Natasha: There have been so many detours in my life and they continue to happen all the time. There is not much that goes according to plan.
Doug: With all that you’ve accomplished, I have to ask – did you study Business and Entrepreneurship in high school?
Natasha: Oddly, no I did not. I studied Cosmetology and wanted to be a hairdresser!
Doug: That’s quite a different direction!
Thank you for the interview, Natasha. I could say that I wish you all the luck in the world but luck really doesn’t apply here. You’ve worked hard in all your endeavours. Let me just wish you even more success. All the best.
Natasha: Thank you so much Doug. As I said; for you anytime!
Doug: You can follow Fellow Natasha Feghali on Social Media here:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NEFeghali
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashafeghali
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nefeghali/
- Personal Website: https://www.natashaefeghali.com
- Feghali Group: https://www.feghaligroupinc.com
Periodically, I have the opportunity to interview interesting people like Natasha. You can read all the past interviews here.
If you know of an interesting person that I should interview, please reach out to me with their name. I really enjoy the opportunity to learn more about others.
doug -- off the record 
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