Grad Spotlight: Amml Hussein

At North Plainfield High School, Amml Hussein, a straight A student, couldn’t get enough of what school had to offer: She was a member of the national honor society; varsity cross country and track and field; and the marching and jazz bands. She was vice president of the debate club and an editor of her school newspaper.   

But after high school her life took an unexpected turn. She married a young man from Egypt, her parents’ native country, and, at 19, gave birth to a son, Adam. To help out with finances, she enrolled at Reignbow Beauty Academy and, as a licensed cosmetologist, was soon cutting hair at local salons.

“I knew I wanted to achieve more, but I wasn’t sure what it was I wanted or how to do it,” Hussein says.

Then, one day, while styling hair at Supercuts in Edison, a client mentioned she worked at Rutgers. They got to talking and the woman told her she had to check out the university’s website and take a look at the school.

“To this day, I don’t know who the woman is, but she encouraged me to apply,” Hussein says. “In many ways it was the right time to go back. I was getting divorced – my husband never adjusted to this country – but it also meant I would be a single mother,” making college a challenge.

In the fall of 2006, Hussein enrolled at Rutgers, and thanks to her parents who pitched in to care for Adam, she has been able to balance family life and school. “I couldn’t have done it without them,” she says. 

Since her return to academia Hussein has managed to squeeze in a great deal. She graduates this month with a joint degree from the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Communication and Information  completing a major in both journalism and media studies and social work. She’s also earned half her credits toward a master’s degree in social work, which she plans to complete next year – before applying to law school.

Hussein believes that as an older student she had an advantage because she had a fairly clear notion of what sort of work she’d like to do – advocacy in the human rights arena – and carved out a path she felt would best prepare her for that work.

 “I chose journalism because I enjoy writing  and wanted to learn how to get my thoughts down in a clear and precise way,” she says. Social work taught her other skills. “I learned about empathy and how to build relationships with clients and gain their trust,” she says. She knew she wanted to be a lawyer after completing summer program in pre-legal studies at Seton Hall University, where she wrote legal briefs and gained experience in moot court.

Another turning point for Hussein was a social work field placement at Catholic Charities in Perth Amboy, where she did immigration work with families. “I helped women being threatened with domestic violence gain work permits and bring their children over from another country,” she says.  Once she earns her MSW, she will apply to law schools where she can specialize in domestic violence law.

At Rutgers, Hussein also was president of the University College Council, the student government body that advocates for nontraditional students.  She has authored resolutions arguing that students who are parents of children should have special parking privileges and to diversify the schedule of classes for winter and summer sessions.

She is passionate about helping those who have been through trying circumstances. Hussein worked with others to create a scholarship fund in memory of Krystal Skinner, a former social work student in Camden who was a victim of domestic violence and died two months before her graduation.