Does this sentence sound awkward, in terms of verb tense or preposition use?

Question

Just a couple of quick questions:

Though not all my students grappled with the same issues that I had faced...

Does this phrase sound off at all? I'm trying to imply that I still struggle with my own set of problems, and though my students do not face the exact same issues, I can still help them. I first wrote "...issues as I had", but are they both correct in this context?

In order to share my enthusiasm for writing, as well as my own struggles in learning a new language as a child of immigrant parents, I worked as...

In the above, I want to say that I took up a leadership position to share both my love of writing and my experiences learning English. I think I say what I want to say, but whenever I read it over, I get tripped up by "my own struggles". Is it the same for anyone else, or am I just going a little crazy with revising?

Answer 1

First example: if you still face these issues, and the students currently grapple with these issues, put the whole clause in present tense:

• Though not all of my students grapple with the same issues that I face. . .

Second example: There is nothing wrong with it. You can "share" your enthusiasm, as well as your struggles. But the meaning of "share" is subtly different. You share enthusiasm by showing an attitude; whereas you share your struggles by telling people about them. So, if you wish, you could make this explicit by saying "share my enthusiasm. . . {relate/tell of} my own struggles. . ."