Age: 22

Hometown: Norman, OK

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Northwestern University, Spanish/Pre-med/Class of 2010

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? I love what Camp Ayandeh does for Iranian youth

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? The new campers and seeing old friends

Age: 22

Hometown: Esfahan

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: The Rhode Island School of Design, Graphic Design, Class of 2010

Role at Camp: Staff

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? My sister has worked with IAAB as a staff member/counselor over the past two years and encouraged me to join IAAB’s staff.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? Meeting the campers

Age: 22

Hometown: Boston, MA

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: New York University, Philosophy and Religious Studies, 2010

Role at Camp: Counselor Manager

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? For the campers.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? I look forward to meeting all the counselors and campers.

Age: 28

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: UCLA, Comparative Literature, 2003

Additional School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: UC Berkeley, Rhetoric (MA), 2008; UCLA, Political Science (PhD), 2014

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? I’ve been inspired by the camp’s example for a number of years. Now that I’m back in school, I have the opportunity to take some time out and participate.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? To be a part of a large group of young Iranian-American campers and staff. Despite having grown up in Los Angeles, I’ve never been a part of any project where Iranian-Americans work together on collective issues for an extended period of time. I can’t wait!

Age: 24

Hometown: Alpharetta, GA

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Georgia Tech, Industrial Engineering, 2008

Additional School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Georgia Tech, Operations Research, 2010

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? I want to help the young Iranian Americans feel a sense of community and to celebrate the rich diversity of the Iranian American community.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? Being a counselor.

Age: 20

Hometown: Ghazvin, Iran

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Emory University, Biology/Philosophy 2012

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? Some of the very special counselors and my experience with the campers last year.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? Meeting new campers and counselors, reconnecting with old ones, and being in San Fran! I’m also excited about Ayandeh’s hyped up 5^th anniversary.

Age: 20

Hometown: Woodbury, CT

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Tufts University 2012, Biology/Psychology

Role at Camp: Staffer

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? Being in the Ayandeh community and the cooperative environment it cultivates….and California weather. No just kidding. But not really.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? How this year’s camp is similar and different to past camps, especially considering its special occasion.

Age: 21

Hometown: Rancho Palos Verdes

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: UCLA, International Development Studies and Iranian Studies double major, class of 2010

Additional School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: University of Texas at Austin, Middle Eastern Studies masters, class of 2012

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? I saw Camp Ayandeh as an opportunity for me to meet people I probably will otherwise not come across. I feel like Camp Ayandeh was my chance at getting out of the “LA Persian” bubble and meet people who share the same culture but grew up in a different geographic region than me with different experiences as an Iranian.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? Meeting and making new friends

Age: 26

Hometown: Potomac Falls, VA

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: George Mason University, Biology (major) Psychology (minor), Class of 2005

Additional School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia, 2010

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year? I have attended Camp Ayandeh twice in the past and find that the experience is enriching and exciting in every way and of course the role I can play in the camper’s lives!

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp? Catching up with old friends and meeting new ones AND changing the lives of campers!

Age: 18

Hometown: Herndon, Virginia

Undergraduate School, Field of Study and Year of Graduation: James Madison University 2013, Nursing major, Humanitarian Affairs minor

Role at Camp: Counselor

What motivated you to join IAAB’s Camp Ayandeh Staff this year?  For two years, I have had the privilege of attending Camp Ayandeh’s Iranian-American leadership camp that has taught me about holding on to my heritage, even as I become more American. The program also helped inspire me to be an active participant in my community. With these organizations, I am able to raise awareness of important issues, as well as encourage my peers to volunteer.

Their aren’t too many events I can say this about, but Camp Ayandeh was really a life changing experience for me. I had never gotten so close to people in such a short amount of time. The compassion and care from everyone was indescribable and there was a atmosphere of comfort that couldn’t be found anywhere else. I wanted to pass these valuable traits I have gained from growing and through Camp Ayandeh onto future campers.

I have always had a natural instinct of caring for people. When I meet people I want to learn more about them than whats on their surface level: their struggles, their hopes, their dreams. This same instinct is what inspires me to become a nurse and a camp counselor. All I really want to do with my life is help people, and being a camp counselor would be such a rewarding experience. I wanted to be able to work so closely with the campers on a personal level.

What are you most excited about for this year’s camp?

I am most excited for being able to (hopefully) make an impact on campers and see them change, grow, and open up throughout the camp. That would be the most rewarding experience I could ask for as a camp counselor.