Dream Talk: Raya Bassam of Star International Academy

The 2025 Michigan Charter School Symposium featured three “Dream Talk” speakers, who told stories of bold ideas and innovative projects that changed the way we view education. This was the speech delivered by Raya Bassam of Star International Academy in Dearborn Heights.

Growing up, every doctor visit — every checkup, every emergency room moment — I got used to one small thing that never felt small: correcting how people pronounced my name.

It happened at front desks, in waiting rooms, in hallways that smelled like sanitizer and nerves.

And I noticed something. Most of the nurses and doctors I met didn’t look like me. They didn’t have an accent. They didn’t have to translate their identity in the first ten seconds just to be taken seriously.

I wasn’t angry about it. It just made me pay attention.

And the person who taught me the most in those rooms wasn’t wearing a lab coat. It was my dad—an immigrant — moving through every form, every appointment, with pure determination.

Watching him navigate a system not designed with him in mind showed me what strength really looks like. Not perfect English. Not easy confidence. But resilience, dignity, and there fusal to be invisible.

So before anything else, I want to say this clearly: being on this stage today would not be possible without my dad. I’m forever grateful.

And to my stepmom — who became so much more than a caregiver — I’m proud to call you my mother. Because of them, I feel deeply for people, especially those who feel helpless.

And there were moments in clinics when I watched someone struggle to explain what they were feeling —moments where fear or language or uncertainty held them back. And I couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t ease it.

That helplessness became my turning point — the moment I thought, maybe I belong in healthcare.

That’s why the CNA opportunity through Star International Academy’s Center for Technical Education matters so much to me.

This program doesn’t just teach skills from a textbook — it puts students in real training, real patient care, real responsibility.

It says: you don’t have to wait years to start serving your community. You can start now — with guidance, structure, and purpose.

And that’s what I love about charter schools when they’re at their best: they’re dynamic. They don’t just educate students — they respond to community needs. They build pathways where the jobs are, where the shortages are, where families are. They turn education into impact.

Through this program, I learned that healthcare isn’t just medical knowledge — it’s compassion, patience, and resilience in real time. It confirmed that my passion isn’t just a dream — it’s a path I’m ready to commit to.

My goal is to one day be on the other side of the desk — to help patients feel seen, heard, and understood. Because sometimes, care begins with something as simple as saying a name correctly.

And if we want strong communities, we need schools that build strong servants.

That’s what this CNA program is doing — and I’m honored to be part of it.