Faiza Islam

Credentials

Teaching Philosophy

My journey with Earth Sciences started back in 2019, when I first participated in the National Earth Olympiad and made it to the Nationals. I was hopeful, determined, and a little naive. I didn't make it to the top that year. Or the next. Or the one after that. But in 2022, something changed. I decided I wasn't going to hold back anymore. I gave it everything I had, and it paid off — I finally became one of the national toppers, ranking 9th in the country. It was a moment of validation after years of quiet hard work. Still, I thought my IESO journey had ended there. Bangladesh was sending two teams of four to the International Earth Science Olympiad, and I assumed I had missed the cut. But I had forgotten one key thing: there was still a Team Selection Test. When they started announcing the final team members from the 8th spot upward, I held my breath. As the list climbed and my name stayed unspoken, I whispered to myself, “Well, chances are close to zero now.” And then, boom. The last name called was mine. The moral of my journey? It's not talent, it's persistence. Earth taught me that. The long road might feel exhausting, but it often leads to the most meaningful destinations. Right now I'm pursuing my BBA at the University of Dhaka, but my curiosity for Earth and its systems hasn't dimmed a bit.