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Bahareh Adami Ardestani

Biography

Profile: Bahareh Adami Ardestani was born in Iran but she and her family were forced to seek refugee status in Turkey because of their faith (Baha’i).  Coming to the U.S. in 2008 with few resources, Bahareh quickly found a home at American River College near where the family settled in California.  The name “Bahareh” means “spring” or “new beginning” in  Farsi  and the future electrical engineer said that is very fitting.  In Iran Bahai’s are not allowed to attend college, but not so in her new homeland.  Bound for the University of California at Berkeley, Bahareh racked up a perfect 4.0 GPA in community college, won several academic awards and still managed to volunteer at a local school and served as president of three campus organizations.  She has a drive and a desire to succeed that was brought to the Foundation’s attention and she was rewarded with the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.  Bahareh talks about arriving in America from Turkey basically penniless.  “When I arrived in the United States my luggage was empty of material belongings; however, it remained well-equipped with repressed energy, potential, and passion which later shaped me into a creative contributor to student life at American River College and beyond.”

Inspiration:  Don’t we all wish we once had a teacher like Dr. Will Davis.  Bahareh was fortunate to have met him early on in her days at American River College.  Dr. Davis, she said, “changed the direction of my life.”  The director of the Math, Science and Engineering Advancement Program (MESA), “helped me when I was desperately trying to find ways of surviving in an unfamiliar land with the hope of continuing my secondary education ...the only reason that I can stand proudly as a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar and MESA Student of the Year in Sacramento is this great man.”

Aspiration:  Once she receives her degree in electric engineering, Bahareh hopes to move on to graduate school and to eventually do research on microelectromechanical systems (tiny mechanical devices driven by electricity).

Making a Difference: If she were to receive grades for her volunteer activities Bahareh would no doubt earn a 4.0 GPA, equal to what she scored in two years at American River College.  She is especially dedicated to the youngsters at a school where she is a volunteer teacher.  “Serving as a teacher of children’s classes is my favorite pastime. I strongly believe that children are the most precious resource in a community. Much like a young tree, children will grow and develop in whatever way they are raised and educated. For this reason, my goal as a teacher of three children’s classes in poor areas of Sacramento is to develop healthy young people who will grow up without prejudice and play a role in serving humanity.”

Accolades:  In addition to being named a JKCF Scholar, Bahareh said being selected as the most outstanding Math, Science and Engineering student for the 2010-2011 academic year is at the top of her list of achievements.  She was also the recipient of a National Science Foundation scholarship for two consecutive years.

Interesting Fact:  Although Bahareh said she doesn’t think she has any “fun facts” that might surprise people, knowing her personal story and journey from religious persecution in the Middle East to honor student in Northern California is a pretty interesting saga.

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