French Teacher With Style
As the youngest teacher in his program, Sam Helwani believes that keeping his students motivated is the key to their interest in education. Helwani abides by his belief through his teachings, but most of all, he abides by them through his appearance.
Twenty-six year old Sam Helwani teaches French at David E. Owens Middle School in New Milford, where he has been a teacher for the past five years. With an upbeat and energetic attitude, Helwani takes a little more than his work seriously.
“I have an outgoing personality and love to laugh and make light of situations,” said Helwani. “I would like to think that my sense of dress reflects that of a bubbly 26-year-old middle school French teacher.”
While many may dress up for the first day of work then slack off on their outfits throughout the rest of the 364 days of the year, the young teacher refuses to leave his house every morning without his shoes perfectly shined and hair gelled in a specific direction.
“I like going to work and impressing with my dress. Doing my best to dress well makes me feel almost radiant or euphoric; maybe even helping me [to] perform my job better day after day.”
But no matter how chic he strives to be, Helwani adheres to the appropriateness of an outfit in a school setting. “I am a World Language Educator working for the state of New Jersey and that will be reflected in my professionalism,” said Helwani. “I wouldn’t go to work without my shirt tucked in or wearing sneakers in front of my students.”
The stereotypical idea of what a French teacher is supposed to be or what a French teacher is supposed to look like is what makes Helwani’s story fascinating. His first language is English, but has been learning French since he was in middle school.
“French has been a part of my life since approximately 2001,” said Helwani. “When I first entered middle school as a sixth grader, [I] was given a choice to study either French or Spanish. I went with the one that was most appealing to me.”
By age 21, shortly after graduating college, he became a French teacher and dedicated his life to the language.
Like most fashionable people, Helwani discovered himself through clothing and style. During his pre-teen years, he struggled with his body weight, making it difficult for him to enjoy shopping or getting dressed creatively like he does on a daily basis today.
“It made me a bit embarrassed,” said Helwani. “I can safely say that now, I look forward to going out and being confident about the way I dress.”
Along with finding himself through self-growth and change, Helwani’s travels around Europe has also influenced what he puts on his body. For nine weeks every summer, he travels to many European cities, especially to Nice, France, where style and the culture behind the city’s fashion differs immensely from that of the United States.
French traveler and close friend of Helwani, Daniel Oliva experiences his clothing choice-making firsthand. “Sam knows what type of clothes to wear to look his best,” said Oliva. “It can be a shirt or a pair of jeans, but he always wears them with class.”
Nice, Marseille, and Paris are three cities in France that Helwani travels to regularly and like souvenirs, he has collected some cultural norms of French fashion from his travels such as budgeting. His style is different from what is seen from typical men’s fashion magazine. For the average male, these looks are very unrealistic whereas male models are usually dapperly dressed. Male models, however, are commonly dressed by designers or in unaffordable high-priced couture. Sam Helwani doesn’t need expensive items to feel ‘dressed.’
“Life isn’t cheap, said Helwani. “You truly have to pay close attention to what you’re spending and on what. I don’t need the ‘crème de la crème’ of brands every time I shop for myself. H&M button downs go a long way with a nice shoe/belt combination and a cute Michael Kors watch here or there.”
Sam Helwani will be graduating from Montclair State with a Master of the Arts degree in French Studies in Jan. 2017. In less than five years, he plans to move to France to teach English. “Many people my age do not have their lives together,” said Helwani. “I feel that I have a wonderful career and I know that most people my age don’t have the opportunity to travel as often [or] for as long as I do. It is a privilege which I do not take for granted.”
Along with his degree and big dreams, he will be walking away with his tremendous sense of fashion. “Style is a fabulous outlet in which to reflect your personality and who you are,” said Helwani. “Why spoil an opportunity like that? Get out there and be creative with it.”
