April 2021 | Issue I
Upcoming Events

Tuesday, April 27
Iranian American Women's Day

Wednesday, April 28
Empowering Your Journey to Financial Independence
Did You Know?
Mayor Farrah Khan of Irvine, CA and Mayor Fred Minagar of Laguna Niguel, CA have recognized Iranian American Women's Day this year in their respective cities! April 27th has been proclaimed as IAW Day by 17 California state officials and 13 cities across the state. View the full list of proclamations here.
Our Financial Literacy Panel
is This Wednesday!
April is National Financial Literacy Month and it's the perfect time to make sure you're making the right moves with your finances! IAWF is excited to present "Empowering Your Journey to Financial Independence," a panel where we'll share the basics of personal finance and the critical steps you need to take to achieve financial independence. Kimia Moeini from Wells Fargo Bank will moderate a panel featuring Nellie Keyhani of Whittier Trust and Maryam Ebadi from US Bank, and you don't want to miss their valuable advice. Please join us on Wednesday, April 28th at 5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST on Zoom or Facebook Live, and we look forward to learning together!
Zoom Meeting ID: 864 2617 0882
Happy Iranian American Women's Day!
IAW Foundation Establishes Two New Scholarships
IAW Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of an annual scholarship in honor of Pari Abasalti. Mrs. Abasalti was a pioneering journalist, Editor in Chief of “Ettela’at-e-Banovan,” and a former Member of Parliament in Iran. We would like to thank her family and friends for establishing this scholarship, which will benefit students in our Mentorship to Internship program who are pursuing careers in journalism or public policy.
The Youth Law Center Scholarship has been established to support students pursuing a career in the human rights field. IAWF supporter and YLC Board Member, Mehrzad Khajenoori, has graciously established this award for participants in our Mentorship to Internship program. The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive.
We are honored to have the opportunity to award these scholarships to our mentees. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship in honor of a loved one or your organization, please email contact@iawfoundation.org
*Please note that IAWF can only award scholarships to active mentees in our Mentorship to Internship program. Learn more here.*
Welcome IAWF's New Trustee, Shahrzad Bakhtiari
We are honored to welcome Shahrzad Bakhtiari to IAWF's Board of Trustees. Shahrzad is an assistant vice president and branch manager of the Huntington Beach Brookhurst Office for U.S. Bank, and has been in the financial services industry for more than thirty years, joining U.S. Bank in 2002.
Fluent in both Farsi and English, Shahrzad is a proud member of the Iranian American community. She has built a network of invaluable connections because of her personal passion to support the disabled, homeless, and LGBTQ+ communities, and currently is a member of U.S. Bank’s Disability and Spectrum Business Resource Groups, and is also on the board of MenAlive, Orange County’s Gay Men’s Chorus.
Shahrzad is a longtime Orange County resident and spends her time outside of work focused on volunteering in the community, using her expertise to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion of all unrepresented groups. We are so grateful to have Shahrzad's leadership and wisdom on board!