“Life is about finding your passion or your bliss.” Luckily for Dr. Nasser, he was able to find both in what he loves to do. At Edison High School Dr. Nasser teaches multiple classes: two sections of freshmen where he teaches US History and three classes of AP World. At the college, he teaches Intro to Philosophy. He then continues home and begins to do what he really loves: writing. Six out of seven days a week, Dr. Nasser finds himself writing, usually something of fiction. After twenty years of teaching and writing academic papers, he says “he just wanted a break.” So, he decided to write a fiction piece: a story about a world filled with artificial intelligence, and found that “it’s rewarding in a different way than doing philosophy.” 

However, after inquiring about his regrets in life, I learned that Dr. Nasser had no regrets about beginning to write so late in life. He told me that he believed that he wouldn’t have been ready at a younger age, that studying philosophy all these years helped prepare him for writing today. Dr. Nasser’s wisdom reaches past not only his writing and teachers, but also in the advice with which he gives. After all these years of learning the history of the world, understanding the philosophy of human beings, he appreciates the present. He says, “the only moment I can control is right here, right now. That’s it, past this, you’re going to give yourself anxiety.” Dr. Nasser uses all he’s learned in his life to better his career today, and to improve his writing skills. 

Although he teaches classes all week, and writes in his spare time, Dr. Nasser still finds time to carve out time for his wife and a social life. He spends time with his friends and family on the weekends and makes sure that he balances all aspects of his life. Dr. Nasser is someone that has a passion completely separate from that of his career, but he finds a way to enjoy all parts of his life, past and present.