Human Rights & Democracy. I am lucky to have been raised by parents who taught me, at an early age, the importance of being socially aware and advocating for the less fortunate and underprivileged. My parents made the incredible sacrifice to flee from the theocratic dictatorship in Iran so that my brother and I would have a more promising future in the United States. While I have never been able to visit Iran, being an Iranian-American remains an integral part of my identity, and I never take for granted the freedoms and opportunities I am afforded that many young Iranians cannot even dream of. For this reason, I feel a responsibility to advocate for the victims of Iran's brutal dictatorship and ensure their voices are heard. I find it especially important to echo the calls of the brave Iranian men and women who courageously stand up to the regime and to empower their struggle for freedom.
Over the years, I have attended many conferences and protests to advocate for a free, democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. Most recently, I spoke at The Free Iran 2018 Summit ahead of the UN General Assembly, a conference that featured fellow young Iranian Americans as well as distinguished guests Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and former National Security Advisor James Jones.
Here is some footage from the event and some pictures from other Iran events I have attended:
Education & Debate
Insert message on importance of equalizing education disparities in disenfranchised communities.
Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues to support academic debate teams in Los Angeles area public schools.
Women's Debate Institute - WDI’s mission is to advocate for and facilitate a more gender-inclusive environment that advances educational and professional opportunities for marginalized gender identities.