ZYNA Co-Chairs
Farzin Avari
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What does being part of FEZANA mean to you?
Being a FEZANA team has provided me the opportunity to bring people together. Growing up in the Deep South, I know what it feels like to be the only Indian kid in the entire school, and I remember how isolating that feels. Now as the only Indian teacher at every school I’ve taught at in, I continue to feel that loneliness quite acutely. I don’t want there to be other Zarathushti youth around North America to feel the same way; not as long as I have the ability to make them feel included. At the very least, I want them to know that ZYNA is a place where they can belong, feel supported, and they have friends who understand the challenges of juggling multiple cultures and identities. I think the pandemic has left people craving a sense of belonging, and I think we have a moment to build a network of lifelong friendships that will be continuously invested in building a better Zarathushti community in North America.
Vision:
To me, the Zarathushti community in North America feels like it’s in its construction phase: literally and metaphorically. I am working to bring people together to create an inclusive and supportive environment where future generations of Zarathushtis can thrive. Developing a vibrant, inclusive, youth-led group within FEZANA is the first step to constructing a strong group of young leaders who will be committed to serving their communities locally and the North American community today and for many years ahead.
Bio:
Farzin Avari is an educator and community organizer striving to foster the growth of kind, compassionate, and thoughtful young leaders. As a first-generation Indian-American immigrant, Farzin has focused her efforts on community building within the Zarathushti community, the Indian-American community, as well as her local community in Atlanta, Georgia. As a woman of color teaching in the South, Farzin understands the importance of empowering youth leaders to create more inclusive and supportive spaces within their communities. As a proud Zarathushti, Farzin teaches science, Zoroastrianism, leadership, and service in the various positions she holds; all focused on polishing young minds to be better youth leaders. She is currently determined to create a strong group of Zarathusthi youth leaders in North America in her role as the Co-Chair of the Zoroastrian Youth of North America.
Kimiya Shahzadi
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What does being part of FEZANA mean to you?
Being part of the Zoroastrian leaders in North America that help our community thrive in the 21st century.
Vision:
Seeing youth deeply connect with their Zoroastrian identity and having lots of fun with each other!
Bio:
Kimiya Shahzadi was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia and migrated to Ann Arbor, United States in 2020 after marrying her husband. She graduated with a Master of Science in clinical behavioral psychology and started a business. Kimiya enjoys investing and has a black belt in Shotokan Karate. She gives back to the Zoroastrian community by being a ZYNA Co-Chair, being a social media manager at NAMC, and donating. Kimiya has begun her training with the Zoroastrian Mobed Council of Iran to become a mobedyar and aspires to become a mobed.
Anaheez Karbhari
Anaheez Karbhari is a multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, born in Abu Dhabi, and raised in Toronto. She recently graduated with a Master of Information from the University of Toronto, specializing in User Experience Design. She joins ZYNA as its newest Co-Chair, where she will continue to push ZYNA’s mission, vision, and initiatives. Anaheez has been continuously engaged in Zoroastrian youth leadership initiatives across North America. Her commitment to the community started with founding and directing the first Canadian Zoroastrian Students Association at UofT in 2013. She is an active youth committee member at her local Zoroastrian association, OZCF in Oakville, Ontario, and a dynamic youth leader in ZYNA as the Communications and Outreach committee co-chair since 2021.
Her vision is a more inclusive community where the youth continue to come together, collaborate, and empower one another, and create the foundation for the next generation of youth leaders to carry on from. I hope that we can help reconnect youth back to their roots and diaspora, blossom a sense of pride, instill joy, and foster a community and sense of belonging amongst youth worldwide.
Past ZYNA Co-Chairs
Parshan Khosravi
