SPOTLIGHT ON ……. GOLFAM  J. on the 18th floor 

SPOTLIGHT ON ……. GOLFAM  J. on the 18^th floor

Our American experiment in democracy and its promise of freedom and the equal opportunity to achieve a better life continues to resonate in the minds of many across the globe. We may be very divided and polarized right now but our American rights and privileges, since their inception, have propelled parents throughout the world to make difficult decisions and extraordinary sacrifices so their children can escape oppressive regimes and have the chance to reach their full potential when they land on our shores.

Golfam and her family arrived in this country in 2007 from Iran.

Her father, Mohammad (who lives at Hampton Plaza intermittently), left his homeland, his friends, everything familiar. In Iran he worked in IT for the government. After he arrived in this country the only job he could find was as a cab driver. This is how he supported his family.  I am sure that Mohammad considers himself a huge success since now one daughter is a chemist and Golfam is working toward getting her PhD in neural science.

Golfam has been working since she was 17 in a clinic that studies sleep disorders. She has worked her way through the University of Maryland; first with a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree and presently her doctorate. In addition to her clinical work, she is teaching at CCBC.  Golfam hopes to teach at the university level once she completes her degree. Apart from working and studying she has found time to travel to 12 different countries.

Now 31, Golfam has been in this country since she was 12 years old and although proud and confident, she is not sure who she is- American or Persian or something in between. I would like to claim her as ours. To me, her grit and determination, her ever so slight accent, beautiful olive skin, dark brown eyes and hair and most of all her family story make her a lovely and truly all- American girl.