Shabnam Mirsaeedi

One person can make a difference in the world. Sometimes it’s difficult to believe, but Shabnam Mirsaeedi proves it’s true.

“When I was living in Iran, I saw children suffering in poverty,” she says. “Since then, I’ve wondered, ‘Why do I live the way I live? Why is there so much inequality and injustice in the world? What can I do to make change?’”

The 2005 alumna took initiative as an Alma College student by co-founding the non-profit organization Forgotten Children of Eastern Europe.

“Once you start a project like that, it’s hard to stop,” says Mirsaeedi, who was a political science major. “You see the impact you make, and you become determined to help out even more.”

Since then, she has earned master’s degrees in international relations from the University of Cambridge and in public affairs from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.

“I also was a senior consultant at OC&C Strategy Consultants, a leading European management firm,” says Mirsaeedi. “I then switched back to the public sector, and I am now pursuing my doctorate degree at the German Development Institute.”

No matter what she does, she's sure to continue promoting change for years to come.