Hashem Abuqawod was born in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and lived there until he was four when his family moved to Kuwait. They came back to the United States when he was 12 and moved around during his teenage years. After graduating from high school, Abuqawod joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and was deployed to read more Hashem Abuqawod and Samantha Ney: Future teachers prepare to strengthen Maine’s K-12 workforce