Scrubs

A tough road to nursing school: Niaz Farzadfar’s story

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Niaz appears to be on her way to a career that will be cathartic for her, but without the self-indulgence this might suggest. Like her mother, she looks forward to becoming a med-surg nurse. “I see myself helping other patients like the nurses who helped my father before he passed away. It’s not only a career, but a way for me to give back and do what I love best. The worst thing is that most of my memories are of him being sick, not before. Nursing school has not only given me an educational experience, but a way to cope with his death. It has allowed me to learn about my father’s sickness and has permitted me to help patients in similar situations. My experiences have made a difference in my life and can now help me make a difference in others’ lives.”

As far as job opportunities go, Niaz remains confident that even in these tough economic times, there will always be a demand for nurses. “It’s one of the few jobs not influenced by the economy, and that’s what keeps me motivated. I feel safe knowing that I’ll find a job when I graduate.” Besides, she adds, she is thinking of using the experience she gains as a nurse to achieve her long-term goal of starting her own orphanage. Although she denies the connection to her father’s work in Iran, she admits, not surprisingly, that it’s something she has always wanted to do.

Niaz Farzadfar

Niaz Farzadfar

A Day at School with Niaz Farzadfar Photo Gallery

David Blumenkrantz
David Blumenkrantz’s professional experience includes an eight-year stint doing documentary work and freelancing in Africa, where he traveled extensively covering a wide variety of relief and development-related social issues. He ran a photography training course for Eritrean freedom fighters in Asmara, and spent more than two years running an information department for the Undugu Society of Kenya, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for street children and the urban poor. Upon his return to the United States in 1994, Blumenkrantz worked for the Los Angeles Times and various other publications as a freelance photojournalist. In 2004 he joined the journalism department faculty at California State University, Northridge, where he teaches documentary journalism and photojournalism.

    Niaz Farzadfar photo gallery

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