Armita Mirkarimi
High-school Senior
Armita Mirkarimi is a Senior at Woodbridge. She is a City of Irvine Community Service Department Aid for YAT, Vice President of the Drama Department, and the Communications Director at the non-profit, Hearts to Heroes. Armita loves storytelling and her goal is to leave the world better than she found it. She hopes to study sociology and peace education in college and later go into peacekeeping at the United Nations. Armita is obsessed with Ratatouille; the movie is a cinematic masterpiece.
Avijah Scarbrough
Journalist and TV host
Avijah Scarbrough is a journalist and TV host, currently working for Spectrum News where she covers stories impacting Southern California communities. She believes in uniting people through storytelling, especially during a time when society is so divided. Avijah is an award-winning public speaker. In 2019, Avijah gave a TEDx at UC Irvine called “Weird is Beautiful,” where she discusses details of growing up with an eccentric, immigrant mother who was constantly inventing strange things. This talk has has sparked an online conversation about accepting and embracing the weirdness in ourselves and in others. Avijah studied journalism at the University of Southern California and has previously worked as a reporter in Honolulu and Redding, CA.
Daniel De Simon
MD candidate and entrepreneur
Daniel De Simon is a MD candidate and entrepreneur who currently lives in Lubbock, Texas. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Daniel moved to Texas to attend Baylor University and complete his undergraduate education in medical sciences and business. From there, he pursued a Master of Business Administration at Texas Tech University, and is currently a second-year medical student at the adjacent TTUHSC School of Medicine. In his free time, he enjoys cooking with his fiancée, playing piano, and spending time with his Great Pyrenees dog! Daniel has created and been involved in multiple private businesses, and is currently interested in pursuing a medical specialty in radiological imaging and neurology.
Selena Mohseni
Freshman at UCSB
Selena Mohseni, a Freshman attending UCSB, shares her view regarding the difficulties surrounding the typical college experience, moving, and studying during a pandemic. Jumping from high school education to moving into her own apartment, Selena shares how this impacted her and her first-year college experience. Previously, she presented a TED Talk regarding stepping out of your comfort zone, expanding your horizons, and embracing the nature of discomfort to become a better person every day. Elaborating on this concept, Selena now talks about how this experience shapes who you are and betters you as a person!
Yana Sadiq
High-school Sophomore
Yana Sadiq is currently a sophomore at Woodbridge. Some things she loves is doing her hair and going to new places. She’s part of the Woodbridge girls water polo team, and has been playing the sport for three years before joining here. Her speech is about her experience in water polo, and the work that goes unseen behind improving.