Ouasim Mortagka

school counselor•Manager

Quasim Mortagka was recommended to us by one of his college professors. He worked for our school as an Arabic translator for the school year 2009-2010. He was punctual and cooperative. He really made a difference with our Iraqi Palestinian students who were new in our school and did not speak English or Greek. He helped the new students adjust and helped the school faculty deal with these students. Quasim was very friendly and eager to work. He proved to be responsible and dependable in all aspects of our cooperation. He was always positive and willing to do what was needed. The students were very satisfied with his help and the school teachers were grateful for his presence. Even though his position was as a translator, his role was very demanding: he had to work with students, teachers and parents always helping to bridge the cultural differences which existed. Sometimes he functioned as a mediator and he was very successful in that as well. His calm demeanor helped solve many problems and misunderstandings and he handled unexpected situations quite well. We were all extremely pleased to work with him and the students were highly disappointed that the translation program did not continue for the following year. Eleni Papagianni School Counselor, Ministry of Education Cyprus