Hiam Kalel Gosaynie, a first-generation Arab-American poet and an English as a Second Language (ESL) secondary teacher in Dearborn, Michigan for 21 years, has been devoted to teaching students of diverse cultures, and writing poetry and stories. Since she was a young girl in the town of her birth...

Hiam Kalel Gosaynie, a first-generation Arab-American poet and an English as a Second Language (ESL) secondary teacher in Dearborn, Michigan for 21 years, has been devoted to teaching students of diverse cultures, and writing poetry and stories. Since she was a young girl in the town of her birth—Saginaw—in Mrs. Becker’s 7th grade English class, as well as Mr. Thibadeau, her 10th grade English teacher, both of whom inspired Hiam to become a teacher, she has dreamed of changing lives with knowledge and the written word. She is a graduate of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, where she earned her B.A. in English literature in 1983, Saginaw Valley State University, and Wayne State University, where she received an M.A. in Education, in 1996. Moreover, Hiam has continued to be fascinated by languages, different cultures and traditions, and the beauty of word (in songs, music and poetry) which express the subtle nuances of divinity within the soul—bridging the gap among cultures and races—and giving us all more tolerance, understanding, and love for each other and for life.