What do you do for a living now?

I’m the Director of Membership Services at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in Washington D.C. We represent the 5.7 trillion dollar wholesale distribution industry. My primary responsibility is to plan our Billion Dollar and Large Company Executive Roundtables. We have 16 Roundtables per year for the c-suite of our largest members.  This gives our members the opportunity to network with each other as well as attend business sessions.

Do you think your time at Mount Pisgah helped you to pursue this?

I think that Mount Pisgah’s faculty always encouraged me to pursue my education, which is why I decided to get my Masters Degree in Public Policy at the University of Maryland. While in high school, I always had a passion for history and politics so pursing my MPP seemed like a natural fit. Mount Pisgah gave me the firm foundation to pursue my education which eventually led me down this career path.

Did you ever envision doing this while you were at Mount Pisgah? I don’t I think envisioned this exact career but probably something very similar.

Where do you live now? Washington, D.C.

Did you enjoy your time at Mount Pisgah? I enjoyed my time at Mount Pisgah not only because it provided such a positive and healthy atmosphere for growing up, but also because of everyone I met there. 

Who was your favorite teacher and why? My favorite teachers were Ms. Wood, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Arnette.

What were Mount Pisgah students campaigning for when you were a student? I think a better question is what weren’t we campaigning for.  I’m pretty sure our biggest concerns were wanting to go off site for lunch and having more spirit days so we that we could wear jeans.  We also wanted to wear earrings that went past the earlobe (please tell me that one class was successful in getting rid of that policy).

What was your most memorable moment as a student?  I think campaigning to be Vice-President and then getting elected was one of my most memorable moments.

Do you still keep in touch with anyone?

I do! Cameron White is one of my best friends and my cousin Armin Darivandpour also went to Mount Pisgah.

Would you send your children to Mount Pisgah? Most likely, yes.

What is your lasting impression of Mount Pisgah?  Having graduated over 10 years ago , I’m still surprised how close many students still are to each other. I read Karli Barnett’s spotlight and she referred to it as the “Pisgah bond” and that is exactly what it is, especially for those of us who were in the first few graduating classes. It’s a magical bond that even after graduating so long ago holds a special place in my heart.