Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates.

Born in Aurora Colorado on May 12, 1986.

Into two cultures others rarely see mix

Persian and Mexican the two cultures combined

The values and traditions of each intertwined

Narvoz, the Persian New Year, my dad used to say

Is the time for new beginnings, it means New Day

My parents pursued the “American Dream”

Their idealism and hope, ingrained in me

Watching their struggle broke my young heart

I wanted to help them create this fresh start

So when my mom became ill I didn’t hesitate to rise

Stepping into shoes three times my size

Arms outstretched I determined not to fall

Wishing every moment there was someone I could call

To help ease the burden of doing it on my own

Not realizing then that seeds were being sown

Of creativity, perseverance, resilience and fight

The gifts of this struggle became my guiding light

This light keeps on shining when my first pass doesn’t take

Like my freshman year in college with the team I didn’t make

I spent the next year with a soccer ball at my feet

Not yet ready to announce my defeat

To the tryouts I returned stronger than before

But making the team didn’t settle the score

Something still was missing, I couldn’t quite explain

The sense my hard work wouldn’t last or remain

Then I found the missing piece buried deep in my heart

I was still holding the baton that others needed to start

The race wasn’t over; the relay just begun

The outcome only meaningful if I passed the baton

I became a coach for underprivileged teens

And that meant more to me than making any team

The mold of my future a shape began to take

With pure determination a difference I would make

This became the compass always guiding my way

Following its direction never led me astray

The terrain may be rough and filled with resistance

But giving up isn’t an option, I fight to go the distance

Like when my insurance claims to cure my eating disorder were denied

And I simply couldn’t afford all the treatment that’s prescribed

Since other doors slammed shut, I built and opened up my own:

Living Your Best Life, meant no more struggling alone

Medical emotional financial support converge

And through these free services, new paths in life emerge

Anyone who ever felt a breeze

Believes in that which can’t be seen

I was raised to believe that change was achievable

But witnessing the transformation made the nebulous conceivable

When I worked at FFW to help others start anew

Providing opportunity for their dreams to come true

The clouds stopped spinning, my mind crystal clear

I discovered my purpose, my passion, my career

I have found no greater cause than helping those in need

Find the means to endure, the strength to succeed

Through microfinance work I will give others this chance

Invest in them - give them opportunity to advance

Leveraging my skills as the means to this end

Is the reason I chose NYU to attend

They say I’m in good company; you are all brilliant and unique

And working together our impact on the world will peak

I am looking forward to making that true

My name is [Name], it’s nice to meet you