Jersey City Board of Education President Mussab Ali plans to remain in his role as he undergoes “intensive chemotherapy treatment” for Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Traditionally, I consider myself to be a private person. I don’t consider myself someone who talks about his private life in the public sphere, but there’s something that I thought I had to get out on the record – just put it out there,” Ali began at the conclusion of tonight’s BOE meeting around 10:15 p.m.
“At the age of 24, I have been blessed with many unique opportunities. None have been more important to me than the chance to serve the residents of Jersey City. As we face some of the biggest challenges in Jersey City’s history, including managing a safe reopening of our schools and a budget crisis stemming from years of underfunding, I want to be transparent about the personal battle I am now facing.”
Ali, first elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2018, then revealed to his colleagues that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last month and that his doctors believe his condition “is not only treatable but curable.”
After consulting his medical team, he has decided will continue to serve as BOE president, which he calls “the honor of a lifetime.”
“To my constituents: being elected to serve you is the honor of a lifetime. There is nothing I would rather do at this time then serve our children. They are our future. With God’s help, I can continue to serve them,” Ali added.
“My family and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers, and we will continue to keep the people of this resilient city in ours.”
A member of the 2020 class of Schwarzman Scholars, Ali is currently a student at Harvard Law School and is also the youngest BOE president in Jersey City history.
