2. Background I am Persian, Colombian and American. Farsi and Spanish are my first two languages. I learned English third, but I assure you that I’m fluent now!
3. Travel My early travels to Colombia and Iran to better understand my heritage sparked my interest to travel the world. Some of my favorite travel destinations include Argentina, Uruguay, Moscow, India, Israel and Jordan.
4. Path to America… My family fled Iran during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 in order to escape persecution. It was a scary time, as my grandfather nearly escaped execution. I have never taken thefreedoms I have in the U.S. for granted as the Iranian people are still fighting for their democracy today.
5. Piano I was somewhat of a piano prodigy as a child. I minored in piano performance at Vanderbilt and recently had the opportunity to take lessons with a teacher at the prestigious Julliard School of Music. I like playing everything from Beethoven to Billy Joel.
6. Hail To The Redskins!!! I grew up in the Washington D.C. area and I’m a huge Washington Redskins Fan…even though they’ve been terrible since I was ten years old.
7. Overcoming Obstacles Being diagnosed with Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder this past year has been the hardest obstacle I have had to overcome. My undiagnosed condition has presented challenges to my academic, professional and personal life but I have refused to quit in order to achieve my goals. While I still face challenges, my life has improved every day through medication, therapy, and my desire to persevere. ADHD is also part of who I am, as the condition is responsible for my musical talent, sense of humor and creativity.
8. Comedy Comedy has been one of my passions since I was a freshman in college. My experience as a writer for The Slant, Vanderbilt’s satirical paper, led to my pursuit of Stand-Up Comedy and Comedic Improv. I can make an audience laugh or cry….depending on the crowd.
9. New York I lived in New York (East Village) for three years and fell in love not only because of the city’s energy and culture but because it allowed me to pursue my passions. I plan on returning to New York and calling it home.
10. Thank You I hope to share my experiences with my fellow classmates at Stern, and I truly think my diversity, infectious energy for what I am passionate about and experience in overcoming a life obstacle will be an asset to the Stern community. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me!
