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Hear From Our Mentee & Mentor
"When I first moved to the United States, I was lost — carrying so much uncertainty that I could barely see a future for myself. That's when the IAW Foundation, and my mentor Arefeh, came into my life. Arefeh was never just a mentor; she was someone who helped me find light again when I had none. Session after session, her patience, warmth, and belief in me helped me rebuild not just my job search, but my sense of my own worth. With her guidance, I secured a role as a Finance manager— a position I once only dreamed of, after so many told me the odds were against me. Arefeh helped me silence those voices and trust myself again. I will carry that gift for the rest of my life. Thank you, IAW Foundation, for giving people like me a second chance — it truly changed mine." - Parisa Hosseingholi
"When I joined the IAW Foundation Mentorship Program, I hoped I would be able to make a small difference in someone's journey. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn and grow from the experience myself.
One of the things that impressed me most about the program was how thoughtfully mentors and mentees were matched. I was amazed by how similar my mentees' stories were to my own. We had walked many of the same paths—starting over in a new country, navigating unfamiliar systems, questioning our confidence, and trying to build meaningful careers while carrying the weight of uncertainty. Because of those shared experiences, our conversations quickly became genuine, honest, and deeply personal.
This past year was especially difficult for many members of the Iranian community. During times when the world around us felt heavy and uncertain, our mentorship meetings became much more than career coaching. They became a safe place to connect, encourage one another, and remember that we were not facing life's challenges alone. Sometimes we talked about résumés and interviews, and other times we simply talked about hope.
My most recent mentee reminded me why mentorship matters so much. From our very first meeting, she was open, coachable, and willing to learn. More importantly, despite all the obstacles she had faced, I could always see one thing that never disappeared: hope. Watching her grow in confidence, prepare for interviews, and ultimately accept a position as a Finance Operations and Accounting Supervisor was one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. Receiving her heartfelt message afterward reminded me that sometimes the greatest gift we can offer another person is believing in them before they are able to fully believe in themselves.
Her journey also reminded me of my own. After completing my Ph.D., I experienced one of the most difficult periods of my career. It took countless unsuccessful interviews, rejections, and moments of self-doubt before I landed my first professional position. Looking back, every obstacle became a lesson, and every conversation with someone who had walked the path before me helped me remove another barrier. I realized that none of us succeeds alone. Throughout life, we all need mentors—and we should all strive to become one for someone else.
There is a Persian saying that has stayed with me through every challenge:
".در ناامیدی بسی امید است، پایان شب سیه سپید است"
"Even in despair, there is great hope; the end of the darkest night is dawn."
Those words capture exactly why I continue to mentor. Mentorship is about more than finding a job—it is about helping someone rediscover hope, confidence, and the belief that brighter days are ahead. I am deeply grateful to the Iranian American Women Foundation for creating a community where those connections can happen and where women continue lifting one another up.
Thank you again for allowing me to be part of this incredible program. I look forward to continuing to mentor, to learning from future mentees, and to giving back to a community that has given me so much." - Dr. Arefeh Mohammadi
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