A Profile of French Teacher, Mr. Benarafa

Since he was a child, Mr. Benarafa has always had a passion for learning. His favorite subjects in school were social studies and sciences. Mr. Benarafa’s goal is to give back to his community and help others, and as a teacher, he has achieved that goal:“That has always been my goal in life, to be doing something for my community, my world, and the people around me.” 

Mr. Benarafa has been a French teacher at New Rochelle High School for four years, and he has been a teacher for about twenty years. “Everybody has a story to tell and that is an inspiration for me,” he said. His favorite things about New Rochelle High School are the school’s diversity and large size. Mr. Benarafa feels that students from all different backgrounds working together is an amazing sight to see. 

Mr. Benarafa grew up in a multi-racial, structured, and loving environment. He has seven siblings. His parents, even though they have not received a formal education, did everything they could to make sure their children would achieve their dreams, and now five of their children have post-graduate degrees. Mr. Benarafa expressed, “We had a vision, we had a plan, and they followed through it, and slowly but surely, I believe it shaped how I and all my brothers and sisters are. That culture was always very important.” 

       Mr. Benarafa enjoys reading and said that art and culture have always inspired him. He loves a lot of books and cannot choose one favorite. Mr. Benarafa feels that one book only gives a person one perspective on life, so it is important to read many books in order to gain multiple perspectives. He also finds French and Arabic literature very fascinating. A few particular books that he enjoys are: