Cents in Action: Mohamad Maarouf

Welcome to our eighth Cents in Action blog post. Every Sunday, we will be featuring an educator who has used our site to raise money for a school or classroom need. Last week, we featured Kalli Harrell of The Soulsville Charter School in Memphis, Tennessee. You can check it out here if you missed it.

Meet Mohamad Maarouf of KIPP Houston High School right here in Houston, Texas! Mohamad is the current Freshman Academy Dean who raised funds for both the school in general and high school math classroom! Mohamad has completed two causes on PledgeCents, raising over $4,000 for calculators and tv monitors. Mohamad is one of the many great teachers at KIPP Houston High School that we have had the opportunity to work with here at PledgeCents, and we are excited to be able to share his story. You can invest in other KIPP Houston High School causes here!

Here is just some of what Mohamad had to say:

How long have you been a teacher, and what is your favorite teaching moment from your career so far?

This is my fourth year teaching. My favorite teaching moment is the “aha moment.” It’s the moment when you see whatever it is that your teaching click. It’s an amazing feeling watching a student get excited about what they’re learning.

How much of your own money do you think you have put toward your classroom and students in any given year, and what have you spent it on?

There have been times when I found myself spending over $50 a week on my classroom. I purchased decorations for my room, trackers for students, rewards for students, books, mini calculators, and so much more.

With so many fundraising options out there, why did you choose to work with the PledgeCents team?

I chose PledgeCents because of the amazing customer support. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the PledgeCents team.

Did you involve your students in spreading the word about your cause? Why or why not?

Yes, because donors respond to students, and I wanted to empower my students. I want them to realize that they can help to make their campus a better place. However, I only involved a few students.

How did your students react when they received the resources PledgeCents helped you acquire?

Our students are extremely grateful and excited. When they received the calculators, they were so happy to be able to actually use a calculator on major exams like the PSAT, ACT, and state exams.

What did you personally do to market your cause? What worked? What did not work?

I reached out to EVERYONE in my network and urged them to share with others. This was extremely helpful. What was most helpful was the connection to our local news station that PledgeCents helped establish. Getting our cause on the news is what ultimately got it funded.

And our very favorite question…If you were one school supply what would you be and why?

I would be a pen/pencil, because I would literally experience every success and struggle that a student goes through.

Thanks so much to Mohamad for sharing his experiences with us, and we wish him the best of luck for this school year! We look forward to seeing his next cause on the site!