I came to the U.S. because I was not allowed to go to any university in Iran because of religious discrimination. I think having a higher education is really important; it gives you a different perspective on life and changes how you think about the world. Since I’ve been at Texas Wesleyan, I have better critical thinking skills.

I really love helping people and I was aware of a great lack in healthcare in Iran. I’m passionate about being able to serve people through healthcare. That’s why I chose to major in biology and later I will go to dental school.

I like Texas Wesleyan because it is a smaller school and you can get to know everyone very fast; everyone becomes like a second family. It’s been a good fit for me because I have no family here. I get so much help, like resume help at Career Services or PreProfessional helping me to think ahead and prepare for graduate school. There have been a lot of adjustments for me, from Iran to the U.S. — learning a new culture, speaking a new language, but I love it and have enjoyed every moment.

Favorite movie:
Stigmata

Favorite book:
Years of Fire and Snow by Aydin Aghdashloo (in Farsi). There is a letter in there that an Iranian artist wrote to his son after seeing him fall asleep while reading a book. It is an amazing letter and changed my life. He was talking about how he felt he had accomplished his purpose, and he had always wanted his son to be searching for something. It gave me motivation to be searching for something in my life; it’s what started me on the path to America.

Favorite music:
I like every kind of music. My favorite song is Beautiful Life by Ace of Base, it just makes me think positive.

Member of:
American Chemical Society, PreProfessional, Pre-Med Society, working as math tutor and photo editor for the school newspaper, the Rambler

Scholarships:
Dean’s Scholarship, Rambler scholarship, transfer student scholarship