Student triumphs over adversity, becoming first-gen graduate and Dean’s Medalist
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.
Alaleh Moslehpour’s parents were both teenagers when they immigrated to the United States from Iran. Fate brought them together when they met at high school in California. Today, they own a cafe and deli in Carmel Valley in San Diego, where Moslehpour has been working for the last 15 years, helping to run and manage the family business.
Over the last two years, alongside working 40 hours per week at the family business, she has also balanced course schedules and assignments after making the decision to complete her degree through ASU Online.
This semester, the first-gen student is graduating with a bachelor's degree in Spanish, and has been named the Dean’s Medalist for the School of International Letters and Cultures.
Right after high school, Moslehpour initially began pursuing a degree in psychology but, after falling out of love with the field and facing both burnout and mental health struggles, she took “a long break in life.”
She was always determined to go back to school and complete her degree but after she left college, she was left with what she described as an “interesting GPA.” Moslehpour found a second chance at ASU and its belief that a university should not be measured “by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed.”
According to Moslehpour, it was challenging and there were times she wanted to quit. But with a sense of determination, she found the strength to continue by focusing on her academic and career goals.
In response to receiving this award, she said, “In regards to this prestigious award, to even be considered for this medal is a huge honor and achievement. As a daughter of immigrants, I have shown that one can achieve anything through hard work, grit, mental strength and passion.”
Moslehpour attributes her success to choosing a field of study that she is passionate about, the dedication of Spanish faculty and her family and friends.
Read more about Moslehpour below, including her perspective about being a first-gen college graduate, her passion for languages and cultures and her advice to students who are still in school.
Question: What’s it like to be a first-gen college grad?
Answer: It didn’t really hit me until last night, but it’s incredible — I’m proud of all of my hard work and discipline. There were so many times I wanted to give up and take time off, but I didn’t. I found an inner strength that I didn’t know I had.
Q: How did your family background impact your experience?
A: Coming from a family with parents that always strived to give their kids more than they themselves had growing up, there was a lot of pressure. They placed a lot of emphasis on education and getting your degree. At the same time, coming from a background of a culture of close-knit family units, there was a lot of support, both emotional and mental. Not everybody has that.
Coming from a family that immigrated, you have an awareness of the types of horrors that are unfolding around the world in countries that are devastated by organized terrorism and where people have no human rights; it’s happening in Iran right now. Coming from an upper-middle-class family, I was given so much at a young age. They did everything that they could to give us more opportunity. There is an awareness of knowing what everyone else is experiencing and knowing the opportunities and privileges that you have.
Q: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
A: When I decided to go back to school, I wanted to study something I am passionate about. I love languages in general and I listen to music in different languages, but I always loved the Spanish language, culture and history. I love soccer and watch a lot of South American — and European — football. I also work with a lot of people who speak Spanish.
Q: What makes you passionate about learning Spanish?
A: Being able to communicate with people in a different language is a game changer. It was a journey in a sense. I am really curious about things I don’t know. Although I had been exposed to Spanish languages and culture before, there was so much I didn’t know in terms of culture, history, language and literature, so studying Spanish gave me access to so much more.
You can always find something that makes learning a language fun and engaging for you that will make you more curious, like music, a series or genre. I was really interested in the literature aspect because you can find something that is an interesting story or an interesting topic.
Q: What’s something — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: Since it was online, it was different from my previous university experience and I was very surprised with how helpful everyone is: Teachers in the School of International Letters and Cultures, and the Spanish department specifically, made this academic experience quite remarkable and unforgettable.
Their feedback far surpassed my expectations and hopes while studying and completing the degree. It was the biggest contributor to not stopping, especially while working full time.
Q: Which SILC professor taught you the most important lesson?
A: There are two that stood out and have become mentors: Maria Jose Dominguez, who nominated me, and Sandra Correa. They are really passionate about the department, about teaching and wanting their students to succeed and in providing feedback.
The biggest surprising thing is that when you ask and when you are interested in something, if you are passionate, teachers can sense that energy and they really are remarkable and inspirational in that way; they reciprocate that energy.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: First, earning your degree takes an incredible amount of discipline for a very short period of time.
Second, you hear stories of students who study what they think they're supposed to study because of a family expectation or obligation to become a doctor or a lawyer. You have to find your own self-fulfillment and do things for yourself or you will never feel fulfilled.
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