Background

The Chaldean experience is rooted in survival and reinvention. Ancestors fled persecution, rebuilt lives in countries where they did not speak the language, and passed down a work ethic that does not really have an off switch. That history shapes how I see things. When my family's story involves losing everything and starting over more than once, complaining about hard problems feels a little off.

Being first-generation means figuring out systems that were not built with you in mind, often by trial and a fair amount of error. No family connections in corporate America, no inherited safety net, no one to call who has been there before. What that builds is resourcefulness, a deep appreciation for mentorship, and a very high tolerance for ambiguity.

This background is not a sob story. It is actually a pretty good one. It creates hunger, adaptability, and a refusal to settle for less than what you are capable of.

I like figuring out how things actually work and then making them work better. That usually means looking at where things are not as efficient as they could be, where things fall through the cracks, and working to fix all of that. Not because it sounds impressive, but because watching a messy process get clean is genuinely satisfying. Knowing I had a part in it? Even better.

I work with kids in a coach and chaperone role. Within 14 months I moved into a lead position, which came with a promotion and a lot more responsibility than I expected. Kids are surprisingly good at calling out anything that does not add up, so you learn fast to just be straight with them. Being able to speak four languages helps more than I thought it would. A kid who barely speaks English lights up when you say something in Arabic or Spanish. Language breaks barriers that would otherwise take months to get past, and when you are trying to be a role model to kids from a dozen different backgrounds, that matters a lot.