From Grandmother Alwakeel
ASA.بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Naseer Naim Alwakeel نصير نعيم الوكيل NASEER means an assistant, helper and protector NAIM means one who is made prosperous ALWAKEEL means Allah (God) The Guardian, The One who takes care of or is entrusted with the affairs of others. My dear grandson is truly missed. I think of him and pray for him daily. His last message on my phone is, ” Nana, where are you?” I won’t be long my dear Naseer, I’m striving to meet you in Jannatun Firadouse listening to your beautiful recitation of Quran. Grandmother Janna Alwakeel.
Remarks from Teachers and Friends
FROM TEACHERS:
Mumina Ali 5th grade teacher
“Naseer was one of those students that you always remember. He was very intelligent, imaginative, and an outstanding writer. His personality and character shone; you could see the nur [light] surrounding him. He was kind and compassionate to others, resolved conflicts amongst his peers, and always available to help a struggling classmate. He always internalized any constructive criticism and tried to improve. He was self-motivated and always strived to do his best; and if he fell short, he wanted to confer with his teachers and get suggestions on how to improve.He was well-liked by his teachers and classmates. What I remember the most are the conversations we had on various subjects, lessons, current events, etc. He was always engaging and thoughtful, respectful of my opinions and eager to share his. I loved our conversations. I still can’t see his name without becoming tearful. May Allah grant him the highest Jannah. In his few years, he touched so many with his generous spirit.”
Sara Mustafa@username
“When I think of Naseer, I picture a goofy 9 year old with a big kind heart and even bigger smile. I taught Naseer when he was in 3rd grade, we had so much fun that year. He was always telling jokes and making his classmates and I laugh. The thing about Naseer was that he wasn’t just funny, he was thoughtful and beyond caring. He looked out for his friends and helped them out when needed. At an early age he had an infectious personality that instantly attracted you to him, I will always remember his kind-hearted spirit. May Allah (swt) bless him with everything good in the hereafter, ameen.”
Rana Younis@username
“I taught Naseer when he was only 7. When I think of Nasser, all I can think of is how much sweetness and goodness was in this young boy. He had such a gentle spirit and loving nature who always showed nothing but respect. Naseer was the kind of role model you wanted for others in the class and when I saw him 7 years later as a freshman, a role model for your own kids. I am grateful and honored that I had the opportunity to teach Naseer. May Allah raise him to the highest level in Fardous.
I loved Naseer so much Jannah
Thank you for giving me the chance to share a little about him”
Stanley E. Metz World History
“Naseer was a great student for me. He was a very kind young man and it was a pleasure to teach him. I believe he would have done great things with his life. His parents should be very proud to have had a child like him, in fact, I wish I had more students like him. He is missed very much!”
Meadowcreek High School
Jordan Bryan Assistant Cross Country Coach
“I remember Naseer’s big smile and upbeat greetings whenever we would pass each other in the hallway. It seemed like Naseer and I had the same schedule because we would pass by each other multiple times between class periods. Naseer’s determination as an athlete and dedication to be the best that he could be was displayed on the track each and every day. He was not afraid to be a leader and voice his opinion. The last conversation we had was down by the track. It was a brief and cordial conversation about lacrosse and running. I treasure that last interaction and reflect on Naseer’s legacy as a leader and never failing friendly face.”
Meadowcreek High School
Paul Filish Language Arts
“Naseer was always eager to share his insight over a number of topics. He never settled for a sit-and-get approach to learning; as a result, he encouraged me to expand my own methodology in the classroom. I will always remember him as a student who brought fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the classroom on a daily basis.
“
Meadowcreek High School
FROM FRIENDS:
Aguilar-Medina
“Naseer’s friends
Naseer would always try to make me smile when I was upset and would help anyone who needed a hand. He was a small ray of light upon many peoples days.”
Caitlin Getridge
“Naseer was so kind and generous to everyone. I wouldn’t have passed chemistry without him. I struggled through this one unit and I was just going to just fail the test and take whatever grade I got, but he didn’t let me. He helped me understand molar mass. I ended up getting an 82 on that test, my highest test grade ever.”
Simon
“Dear Naseer’s family,
Your son was the best person I ever met. He always brought light to everyone’s day when it felt dark.”
Grace
“He was an amazing friend, always with a smile on his face. I remember one day when he helped me get back into a good mood, I was crying my eyes out and he helped me turn them into happy tears.”
Nancy Pham
“One day after school we went to a restaurant before going to work on a project. 3 White people came up to us for help and without hesitation, Naseer was the first to stand up and help them.”
Charlotte
“Naseer was not only a great teammate but also a great friend. I remember one race during cross country season of my Freshman year, we went to a place that was a big field with many ponds and many houses. I remember all of us walking the course and me being so nervous but Naseer was always there to calm you down and convince you that you would PR [personal record]. I remember him standing by the starting line along with the other boys to watch us girls start. Hearing him and the other boys cheering us on was one of the best feelings. I miss hearing him tell me to keep going and to push myself harder. I finished that race with a PR as he predicted. He came up to me with the whole “I told you so” speech. But for some reason I still wasn’t satisfied with my time so he picked me up and threatened to throw me into the pond until I admitted I was happy with my time. That’s how he was with me. He always pushed me to be happy with not only my times but also myself. I can’t thank him enough for times like those because there was a lot of them. Thank you, Naseer. You will forever be in our hearts.”
Mason Denny
You don’t expect to find a friend in odd situations.
He wasn’t a jock or a nerd he was just Naseer.
He was hard to explain but easy to be with.
When I first started cross country he would see me struggling and every time he passed me up he would say come on Mason , or you can do this Mason.
It meant a lot to me as I’m not a popular kid and barely have any friends because I’m not into the norm.
Naseer and I talked and shared our religious beliefs with each other and got to know each other a little better. Which was cool because I’m a deep thinker and enjoy stuff like that.
He was always striving to do better be better, but not to be the cool kid but to be better than what he was the day before.
My mom would be at the track every day and he would greet her and talk just a few minutes.
She really thought a lot of him too. She said it impressed her that he had such charisma as a teen.
When he passed it was a total shock for every one.
My mom, brother and I went to the special moment at the football field, I was still dressed up from the days events as I couldn’t find anyone to ride with to go to the funeral and when we got there I was a little upset the news
reporters showed up when this was a private moment for a friend who’s family had suffered and other families suffered with the loss of the others that perished that night in Oct. As I knelt to pray on those concrete steps I felt like I had to pray not only for all the families involved but for myself as well to heal.
Naseer was one of the coolest, interesting, people I have ever met. His parents should be proud that he was a leader and wanted to strive for His personal best every day.
His presence will always be felt and missed at every meet and every banquet we have.
I’m glad Coach Michael made an award in memory of him; he will never be forgotten.
POEMS TO HONOR NASEER
Passion in Naseer’s Pace
by Coach Aimee Walthall Michael
Once upon a time, I coached Naseer Alwakeel
He had passion in his pace, every strike of his heel
Running up that back hill, a true mustang of Meadowcreek
Always striving through the hard stuff to get faster every week
I chased him with my stopwatch through fields of grass
He was painfully alive and just wanted to be fast
He treasured my words of wisdom, he took them all to heart
His teammates loved his energy, he loved the thrill of the start
He loved the 800m run, every race was a chance to be his best
A chance to feel that divine feeling of putting your legs to the test
He always went out too fast but , man, I admired his grit
Naseer was never afraid to really “go get after it!”
We shared fist bumps and we shared high fives, disappointments too
But Naseer has no fear of those uphills in the morning dew
Naseer was a cross country runner, he loved intervals on the track
I can see him barreling down the last straightaway, never looking back
“Thanks coach, I’ll make you proud!”
“Are we starting at the blue shed?”
That smile is in my memory, his voice is in my head
I won’t see him at practice, at graduation, or on the track
Where he went one Friday night, we just won’t get him back
But I won’t ever forget the time I coached Naseer Alwakeel
or the passion in his pace with every strike of his heel
Time
The pain I feel all the time
Thinking of you, you’re on my mind
Some days I wonder what if it was me instead of you
Would you still be here?
Time, that’s what everyone says
Give it time
I am tired of time
It doesn’t fix my broken heart
It doesn’t heal my pain
Time doesn’t bring you back
Time is so precious because you never know when its
Time to go
I don’t know how time works, but you can
Lose a loved one in a blink of an eye.
You disappeared so fast I couldn’t even say goodbye
Come back, I said, come back
I didn’t have enough
Time
In loving memory of Naseer Alwakeel
by Maariyah Mustafa (Cousin), 2017
You Have To Do The Hard Things
A poem presented to the track and cross country team by Coach Aimee, found hanging on Naseer’s bedroom wall.
You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
You have to give more than you get in return right away.
You have to care more about others than they care about you.
You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts”.
You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
You have to try and fail and try again.
You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.
You have to do the hard things.
The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.
Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.
The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.
The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.
Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.
-Dan Waldsch