New UGRAD Program Associate, Roya Zahed
Hello everyone and thank you for the warm welcome! There’s no better way to start the year than by joining the dynamic Global UGRAD team.
As the newest member, I would like to share a little about myself. Although Washington D.C. has been home for almost three years, my roots are in Seattle, Washington where I was born and raised. I attended the University of Washington and my major was Communication. Trading Seattle’s mountains and lakes for D.C.’s museums and politics has shown me a new part of the country and I’ve enjoyed the coast-to-coast journey.
If you happen to speak Japanese, Farsi or Khmer, feel free to test me! My mom is from Japan, my father is from Iran and I lived in Cambodia for one year. Even though neither of my parents is from the United States, our family has fallen in love with America’s pastime, Major League Baseball. It is not currently baseball season but if you ever attend a game, be sure to let me know! My other interests include: history, reading, playing basketball, the Olympics and being in warm places. I’m also a huge fan of the show, The West Wing. If you are intrigued by what happens in the White House, you have got to watch it! Prior to joining World Learning, I worked for a human rights non-profit organization and administered its international internship program.
I will keep it at that for now. I am excited to learn about and from each of you this year. Let’s continue to expect great things of ourselves and the experiences ahead.