Sedique Popal immigrated from Afghanistan decades ago and experienced his own challenging resettlement. He has since become deeply connected to and well-known within the Afghan and broader Muslim communities. In 2015, he became the President of the Board of Directors of the Noor Islamic Cultural and Community Center (NICCC). Under his leadership, the NICCC expanded its services from primarily the Afghan population to the entire Muslim community, significantly growing the center. Sedique has fostered close relationships with community leaders, local politicians, and the Concord Police Department to further support the community he serves.
Sedique and the NICCC have partnered with JFCS East Bay on various initiatives. Sedique holds a BA in Education from Kabul University, an MA in TESL/TEFL from San Francisco State University, and an EdD in Second Language Acquisition/Linguistics from the University of San Francisco. He is currently a Professor at USF and serves as the TESL Program Coordinator, specializing in Applied Linguistics and International & Multicultural Education. Sedique has taught and trained teachers in six different countries and has been a featured presenter and keynote speaker at TESOL, CATESOL, NABE, and CABE. He has received the Outstanding Educator Award from the University of San Francisco, UC Berkeley Extension, California State University, East Bay, and the College of Alameda. His latest publication is “A Grammar Book for Teachers” (2021).
