Most Influencial Person

            Each of us has been influenced by the people, events, and situations in our lives. How have these influences shaped who you are today?.
             Looking back at my life, I have been fortunate to experience a diversity of situations as an individual and with my family. My family supported each other during our move from Iran to the US in 1978. We have helped each other grow and supported one another in every aspect of our lives. As an individual, I have continually pushed myself in work to learn the most from every experience and to develop and understand more of the world around me. These events with my family and at work have greatly shaped me into the person I am today, a focused, cultured, and accepting individual.
             I was born in Teheran, Iran in 1970 and lived there until I was eight years old. My father was the first American trained Thoracic Surgeon to serve in Iran and the individual who established the Emergency Medical Service in the country. However, his success was overshadowed and diminished during the revolution in 1978. My entire immediate family decided to temporarily relocate to the U.S. until the end of the political crisis. As an eight year old, I never imagined that I would not return home to the friends and things I knew. Eighteen years later, the regime in Iran is still in power and since then my family has rebuilt a new life. My parents not only have influenced my life, but my sister and brother as well. My father, once the top surgeon in Iran, had to take the US medical boards exam before he could begin practicing in the US. He left his home for his family to be safe. His courage and determination have shown me that anything is possible and his unselfishness has taught me to be less judgmental and more accepting of the people around me. My mother, in addition to raising the three children, attended school for a finance accounting degree. Raising three children is tough enough, but she also brought a 12-year-old, an 8-year-old and a newborn to a new country and supported them while making a life of her own.