Nasrin & Behrooz - A Poem and Story

A Poem

There is a Persian poem written by Saadi, which adorns a wall of UN headquarters building in New York, that I love so much! 

"Human beings are members of a whole,

     In creation of one essence and soul.

     If one member is afflicted with pain,

     Other members uneasy will remain.

     If you've no sympathy for human pain,

     The name of human you cannot retain!"

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My Story

I want to share my story about the experience of mentoring.

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My name is Nasrin, and I am originally from Iran. I came to Austin,Texas in 1977. I am a US citizen and have lived in Houston for 32 years. I am so happy to have known Ms. Kristy Elmore and have the opportunity to become a mentor at this school.

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I didn’t have any initial plans to volunteer to be a mentor. One day, our friend Mr.  Barry Rava called about students who are at school speaking Persian, and they need help. We told him that definitely we would like to be of help.  Therefore, the following week my husband, Behrooz, and I paired with 6 grade students.

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Her Story

I mentor a 6th grader. She told me her story about her family having to leave their country at one-day’s notice and leave everything behind. The Taliban invaded her city and her family couldn’t stay because of the danger they would experience.

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Her Family

My mentee has four sisters and one brother. She told me her mother is crying everyday. After I heard the story, I paid a visit to her mom and the rest of the family. Her mom is very depressed because she is not familiar with the life and culture here and misses her family, especially, her parents. I realized that I was facing a new task and needed to spend more time with this family. 

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Their Needs

They needed many things—pots and pan, dishes, dining table, blankets, table lamps, vacuum cleaner, and many other things.  We provided what they needed.  I also discussed the matter with Kristy, and she immediately helped with other items of need. 

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My mentee also mentioned that she had difficulty in understanding the subject matter in her science class. I knew from experience how difficult it is for a foreign student to understand a new language. She was crying because she was also bullied in the class. After discussing the issue with Mr. Wolf, her class was switched to a different class and she felt happy to be in the new classroom. 

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A Growing Relationship

My mentee and I have developed a special connection. She mentioned that they moved to a new apartment and needed a refrigerator! After discussing with Kristy, while it was the end of the year and she was heading out of town next day, she went out of her way and asked her friend to find a fridge for them. I talked to my husband about the situation, and we covered the cost, and Kristy arranged for delivery. So finally these people had a new refrigerator for New Year. 

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What team work! The satisfaction we all got at the New Year was unforgettable! I was moved to tears when I heard that my mentee's mom was praying for all of us! We are so fortunate to have freedom in the US. Most of the countries in world do not enjoy our freedoms. 

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Thank You

On behalf my husband and me, I want to thank Kristy for her support and efforts throughout the semester. I also appreciate the help by Susan and Mr. Wolf in helping with all matters with foreign students. 

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We are thankful to Mr. Rava for introducing us to Kristy. 

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One More Time...

At the end, I would like to say again from poet Saadi, 

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"Human beings are members of a whole,

     In creation of one essence and soul.

     If one member is afflicted with pain,

     Other members uneasy will remain.

     If you've no sympathy for human pain,

     The name of human you cannot retain!"

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- Nasrin and Behrooz