Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer
The Words Alive 2023 Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award awardee Bijan Nowroozian is an amazingly accomplished volunteer. Bijan is a librarian who grew up in El Cajon, a suburb of San Diego, and graduated from Grossmont College, San Diego State University, and San Jose State University. Interestingly, Bijan’s mother was a librarian, so he grew up surrounded by books. Growing up the local library was his place of refuge, a safe space he would visit every day after school to relax, study, and immerse himself in books. In college, he discovered a love for non-fiction and poetry. He has recently enjoyed the world of graphic novels and appreciates a good audiobook while working out. In addition to reading, Bijan also enjoys hiking, playing video games, and running obstacle course races.
Bijan was working for the San Diego Public Library while getting his graduate degree when he started to feel that he wasn’t actively using all the skills he had picked up in his undergraduate and graduate work. Specifically, he wanted hands-on experience in the classroom. He searched online and found Words Alive. He was intrigued by the organization because it shared many of his same values and philosophies regarding learning and literacy. He started volunteering at Words Alive as the team lead for the Adolescent Book Group (ABG) program. He would visit 2-3 classrooms weekly and lead the class in book discussions, writing prompts, activities, games, and art projects that all revolved around the book the students were reading. In addition to his ABG work, Bijan joined the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program as a volunteer. He initially assisted in screening applications, facilitating interviews, and scoring applicants. Once the program transitioned to a more volunteer-focused structure, he was offered the role of Chair of the WAWS Taskforce.
Although Bijan no longer lives in San Diego, he would love to continue to be involved with Words Alive. “Helping others is a true passion of mine, and it's important always to give back whenever possible.” Bijan, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award
Book recommendations: Bijan recommends: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings, and Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard (for young children). The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (for teens) and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou (for adults)