Who Am I?
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Hi, my name is Arash Yazdidoost. I am a Iranian-American student currently in my third year at The University of Washington studying Informatics. I'm currently an undergraduate research assistant for the UW Information School assisting in the development of tools for surveying populations where library and research centers have been newly constructed. I also work part-time as a web content production assistant for the UW Continuum College. In my free time, I volunteer in childcare because I believe early childhood education and equal accessibility to education is key for our society now and in the future.
I'm passionate about technology, human rights, and artificial intelligence. I am also really excited to share my leadership journey with you!
To get started, allow me to tell you about myself! My greatest values are resiliency, diversity, and hard work.
Resiliency
You never know what life will throw your way, so being able to adapt to changing conditions is crucial for someone who wants to lead. To be a resilient person is to remember that no matter what happens, there is always a way to a solution, as long as you never stop looking for it inside you. Failures are an opportunity to grow rather than the end of the road.
Diversity
The advantages that come with living in a nation with people from so many different backgrounds are never-ending. Everyone has something unique to bring to our communities which collectively make us who we are. Being a first generation college student and the son of Iranian immigrants has given me a perspective and a fundamental belief that anything is possible and anyone who is willing to work hard can achieve anything, but in order to do that we have to celebrate our differences rather than separate by our differences. I love meeting people from different backgrounds and experiences and I believe it has made me a more well-rounded citizen of the world.
Hard Work
“Work smarter, not harder.” That is a quote thrown around a lot, one with which I agree yet disagree. To work smarter is to find out what kind of work is most efficient, and then applying that work. In order to do that, we must first work hard and put our tools to work in a variety of ways. So there truly is no substitute for hard work. Failures drive me to work harder and harder and I truly feel this is my greatest strength
These values I hold near to myself lead to my leadership identities: Education, Advocate, and Global Citizen. Education is the key to infinite opportunity. Advocacy is taking a stand and showing support for what is right and what needs to be changed. I’m dedicated to assisting anyone who’s willing to study to be given the chance to. Lastly, as a global citizen, I see this planet as one large community all on the same team. Where everyone is encouraged to strive to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
I'm passionate about technology, human rights, and artificial intelligence. I am also really excited to share my leadership journey with you!
To get started, allow me to tell you about myself! My greatest values are resiliency, diversity, and hard work.
Resiliency
You never know what life will throw your way, so being able to adapt to changing conditions is crucial for someone who wants to lead. To be a resilient person is to remember that no matter what happens, there is always a way to a solution, as long as you never stop looking for it inside you. Failures are an opportunity to grow rather than the end of the road.
Diversity
The advantages that come with living in a nation with people from so many different backgrounds are never-ending. Everyone has something unique to bring to our communities which collectively make us who we are. Being a first generation college student and the son of Iranian immigrants has given me a perspective and a fundamental belief that anything is possible and anyone who is willing to work hard can achieve anything, but in order to do that we have to celebrate our differences rather than separate by our differences. I love meeting people from different backgrounds and experiences and I believe it has made me a more well-rounded citizen of the world.
Hard Work
“Work smarter, not harder.” That is a quote thrown around a lot, one with which I agree yet disagree. To work smarter is to find out what kind of work is most efficient, and then applying that work. In order to do that, we must first work hard and put our tools to work in a variety of ways. So there truly is no substitute for hard work. Failures drive me to work harder and harder and I truly feel this is my greatest strength
These values I hold near to myself lead to my leadership identities: Education, Advocate, and Global Citizen. Education is the key to infinite opportunity. Advocacy is taking a stand and showing support for what is right and what needs to be changed. I’m dedicated to assisting anyone who’s willing to study to be given the chance to. Lastly, as a global citizen, I see this planet as one large community all on the same team. Where everyone is encouraged to strive to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
What am I about?
Education
In a world with rapidly enhancing technologies, I find it extremely important for the upcoming generations to be educated and to give them the tools and skills in order to educate the next generation after them. During my times volunteering in childcare, I’ve been able to educated preschool children and prepare them for kindergarten.
In a world with rapidly enhancing technologies, I find it extremely important for the upcoming generations to be educated and to give them the tools and skills in order to educate the next generation after them. During my times volunteering in childcare, I’ve been able to educated preschool children and prepare them for kindergarten.
Global Citizen
Being the son of Iranian immigrants, and both a citizen of Canada and The United States, I see myself as a member of these communities local to me but also as a member of humanity and planet earth as a whole. I’ve experienced discrimination because of my ethnic background and religion, and have seen it from both ends of the spectrum and in between. I proudly consider myself to be a global citizen as there is a much bigger picture to society than nationalism and pride for a country, love for all mankind.
Being the son of Iranian immigrants, and both a citizen of Canada and The United States, I see myself as a member of these communities local to me but also as a member of humanity and planet earth as a whole. I’ve experienced discrimination because of my ethnic background and religion, and have seen it from both ends of the spectrum and in between. I proudly consider myself to be a global citizen as there is a much bigger picture to society than nationalism and pride for a country, love for all mankind.
Avid Academic
I believe education is the most valuable tool to a person. In my family’s home country of Iran, people of the Bahai Faith (our religion) are not permitted in University. One key thing that can keep the oppressed from freedom is lack of education and information of what’s out there. There is so much to know and discover and who knows who will come up with the next big discovery. That is why I enrolled in Running Start and started college at 16. I hope to pursue my Masters degree after graduating from UW.
I believe education is the most valuable tool to a person. In my family’s home country of Iran, people of the Bahai Faith (our religion) are not permitted in University. One key thing that can keep the oppressed from freedom is lack of education and information of what’s out there. There is so much to know and discover and who knows who will come up with the next big discovery. That is why I enrolled in Running Start and started college at 16. I hope to pursue my Masters degree after graduating from UW.
Advocate
We are in a very crucial time in mankind right now. We are seeing the world become smaller and smaller as economies become more competitive and more and more people are exposed to different types of cultures. With that comes a lot of fear of the unknown. I always advocate for equality and human rights for people from disadvantaged or under-represented minorities.
We are in a very crucial time in mankind right now. We are seeing the world become smaller and smaller as economies become more competitive and more and more people are exposed to different types of cultures. With that comes a lot of fear of the unknown. I always advocate for equality and human rights for people from disadvantaged or under-represented minorities.
Why Do I Do What I Do?
At the end of the day, you have to sit back and ask yourself “why do I do what I do?”. My response to that is my love for all life. We have all been gifted with this opportunity to live and breathe in this world, all of us for only a limited amount of time. Everyone is born into different circumstances but I want to help give anyone the chance to be able to look back on their life down the road and be able to say “I did it.”. I truly believe that if everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their full potential, there is no limit to what our generation and the generations to come can achieve.
With new advancements in technology every day, more and more people relocating across the globe as our world becomes smaller and more unified, I do what I do because I want to improve the lives of those around me and prepare a foundation for others to be able to build off of. I want to lead by example so one day the people after me can do the same for the people after them. I do what I do because I don't want there to be anyone out there who does not try to strive for their goals as much as possible because they think they just aren't meant to be. I do what I do so as many people as possible will be able to achieve their goals as long as they are willing to put in the hard work it is going to take.
In the Future...
In the future, I want to work as a director or manager and lead people to be able to do the same one day, to be able to become mentors themselves. Leadership is not simply a position: it is a way of life. I set examples in my day to day life and strive to grow every day, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for us all!
At the end of the day, you have to sit back and ask yourself “why do I do what I do?”. My response to that is my love for all life. We have all been gifted with this opportunity to live and breathe in this world, all of us for only a limited amount of time. Everyone is born into different circumstances but I want to help give anyone the chance to be able to look back on their life down the road and be able to say “I did it.”. I truly believe that if everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their full potential, there is no limit to what our generation and the generations to come can achieve.
With new advancements in technology every day, more and more people relocating across the globe as our world becomes smaller and more unified, I do what I do because I want to improve the lives of those around me and prepare a foundation for others to be able to build off of. I want to lead by example so one day the people after me can do the same for the people after them. I do what I do because I don't want there to be anyone out there who does not try to strive for their goals as much as possible because they think they just aren't meant to be. I do what I do so as many people as possible will be able to achieve their goals as long as they are willing to put in the hard work it is going to take.
In the Future...
In the future, I want to work as a director or manager and lead people to be able to do the same one day, to be able to become mentors themselves. Leadership is not simply a position: it is a way of life. I set examples in my day to day life and strive to grow every day, and cannot wait to see what the future holds for us all!