Before Ramadan starts, Layla Abdullah-Poulos and her family sit together and share one or two things they want to improve in themselves over the course of the month. The Ramadan resolutions are a tradition her family has adhered to over the years. Abdullah-Poulos, 44, converted to Islam when she was 18. She lives in Mastic with her husband, who is Puerto Rican and Greek, and their six children, who range in age from 2 to 17. She is home-schooling all of them: Her eldest daughter is a graphic artist and is taking a Japanese class at Stony Brook University, while one son is memorizing the Quran and another is an aspiring chef who plans to go into the military. Abdullah-Poulos is an adjunct faculty member at SUNY Empire State College, where she tutors and teaches academic writing. She is pursuing a master’s degree in liberal studies, serves as president of Minority Students in Action, and is a staff writer for The Student Connection. In her spare time, she organizes women’s education programs at the Islamic Center of Mastic-Shirley.
Newsday.com asked five Long Islanders to share their experiences during Ramadan by sending in Instagram photos every day for 30 days: the commuter, the single mom, the teacher, the teenager and the sports fan.
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