Her Story
About Soraya
Soraya Ahmadyar is a human resources professional with the City of San Jose, where she has worked for about four and a half years in pipeline building and recruitment support for over 20 departments through outreach and engagement. Her background includes roles in California state government in business compliance and auditing for the sales tax department, as well as development work at the American University of Afghanistan focused on scholarships and fundraising. She holds a master's in public administration and serves as a board member at her child's nonprofit private school. She attributes her drive to her father's passion for education and his role in raising his six daughters to be strong and independent despite cultural expectations.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Soraya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I can root it back to my dad and his passion for education. It's one of the main reasons why I even went as far as getting my master's in public administration. He's always been such a great role model. He has 6 daughters but raised us to be equivalent to a son, fighting the cultural background where girls are supposed to be timid and passive.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be your own bottleneck, and just try everything and anything that comes your way. You just never know where those opportunities will take you, and it may just surprise you.
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