“I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to achieve that failure because it was a milestone to be even considered!” Salam Mustafa, the new Director of Student Life at OHS, says regarding her experiences in the Diplomatic Special Agent Interview. This might be a unique belief, especially after spending over two years on the interview, passing every phase until the last, and failing because her score was 0.05 points too short—but Mustafa is an enthusiastic, experienced individual who has been through diverse situations and work fields. Mustafa has recently joined OHS following the leave of the last Student Life Director Kristen Sullivan, taking on the role of managing diverse events and activities for students.
Mustafa has a background in Social Justice. Before coming to OHS, she spent five years facilitating peer-to-peer diversion programs to assist teenagers who faced arrests. Following that, she was a Dean in Contra Costa for another five years, and gained experience in Operations for two years at a Title I school and a corporate non-profit.
Mustafa says she was drawn to OHS because of its innovative approach, expansive global reach, and commitment to intentional engagement with talented young people.
“The school’s reputation for fostering creativity and connecting with students on a global scale resonated with my professional values, making it an ideal environment for me to contribute my skills and expertise,” she says. “It presented an exciting opportunity for me as it seamlessly combined all my previous work experience, allowing me to leverage my background in social justice, experience as a Dean, and proficiency in operations to contribute meaningfully to OHS’s mission.”
Mustafa says she loves OHS’s diverse staff community, but feels it is unique from the places she has previously worked at. She sees the biggest change in the lack of face-to-face interaction. “Due to it being an online school, I do not have the privilege of being able to interact with students on a day-to-day basis as I would in a brick-and-mortar setting. So, I wait every few months for the events in hopes of putting names to faces and getting to know you all!”
Mustafa’s biggest goal at OHS is to increase the quality of events year to year for students. “High school is four years of core memories and experiences,” she says. “I am grateful to get to contribute and shape some of those experiences for you so that they are positive and fun memories.”
“Hopefully,” she adds, “in a few years or even decades, it will be a time you will share and reflect back on with both your OHS friends and new friends in the future!”
When she isn’t working among OHS community members, Mustafa is a retired adrenaline junkie with a penchant for various sports – hiking, weightlifting, soccer, and cross-country running. Aside from athletics, she loves Bravo, reality TV shows, and her Husky, Boone.
Mustafa is also getting married this year. Joking, she recalls her earlier anecdote, “I would not have the life with the husky and fiancé if I did not fail out of the Diplomatic Special Agent Interview process.”
OHS will have a lot to look forward to from Mustafa’s contributions to the school community and students.