We recently caught up with
Koorosh Farchadi, graduate of the Class of 1998. After graduating from Westminster, Koorosh attended Lake Braddock High School and then earned his BA in Media Production and Criticism from George Mason University.
Thank you to Mrs. Moghaddam for conducting this interview with Koorosh.
What have you been doing since graduating from Westminster?
After I graduated from Westminster, I broadly continued my worldly education. I worked in a public access TV station all through high school and college and continue to contribute as a teacher there. This experience snowballed into becoming the Executive Producer of a student-produced, close circuit TV station in college. After that, I explored a wide range of different options in search of my passion and discovered that my interest is what I have been doing already.
After graduating from college, I agreed to be the Executive Producer of the station. Later, I worked with Persian TV stations for a few years. I did some freelance work for nearly the next decade, and continue to do some projects today.
About four years ago, a collaborator and I began working on what has evolved into an award-winning documentary series called
Harvests of Hope. The project has been recognized by a few film festivals recently, including the 2018 Farm Film Festival in Sicily, Italy, and won the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Barilla Foundation’s Good Food Media Award for reporting on sustainability and the food system. Click
here tor read more and see a trailer of
Harvest of Hope.
I love to garden and received my Permaculture Design Certification last year. I’ve also been working at the National Science Foundation as their Production Coordinator for the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs for almost three years.
What impact has your Westminster education had on your life?
I think and talk about my Westminster days now and again. When we were students, we did not appreciate what we had, but the merits of it became more evident as we moved through high school and college. The Westminster education, structure, and discipline made it much easier to keep up with classes later on and I felt I was ahead of others. It most certainly has contributed to who I am today. Those were indeed the formative years of my life. The social interaction and the structure has impacted my life in many ways. One of the most important ways Westminster School impacted my life is the curiosity and interest created by its offering of extracurricular activities, academia, and projects. I feel it has instilled a sense of exploration and passion to look for more information and to have the freedom of researching and learning about different fields--not be limited to just a particular degree. I really feel I was well served by having attended Westminster school. In fact, I am hoping and would love to be able to send my children to Westminster School.
What is your message to current students?
You are going through an experience that many do not get the chance to benefit from. You are sharing this journey with people who will become lifelong friends and will come to your side and help you all through life. Try to savor the time you have with both your teachers and classmates and realize that it will be a lasting benefit.
And your message to parents who might be considering Westminster for their child?
If you are considering Westminster School for your child and wondering if it is the right choice, I advise you to choose the school and ask yourself how you can make it happen. Have no doubt that your decision and effort will have lasting effects and will provide your child with tools to be more successful all through life.
