Hey everyone! I’m Golsa, a 17 year old student over at Dr. Charles Best Secondary, and I’m super stoked to drop in and share a bit of my story. I was born and raised in Iran before my family moved to Montreal in 2017, and eventually, we made our way out west to Vancouver a few months later.
Something awesome about my Persian heritage that people outside the culture might not know about is Chaharshanbe Suri, which is the Festival of Fire. On the eve of the last Wednesday before the new year, we build small bonfires at night and jump over the flames, symbolically shedding the cold energy of the old year and taking in the warmth and vitality of the new one! Another tradition close to my heart is gathering on winter nights for Fal-e Hafez, where we randomly open a book of Hafez’s poetry to seek wisdom and fortune for the future. No matter how many times we’ve packed up our lives and moved, these traditions keep my family close, and family means everything to me. Below is a picture of a traditional spread we put together to celebrate!
Because I spent so much of my childhood hopping between different cities, I’ve had a great feeling wanderlust. I want to spend my youth exploring as much of the planet as possible before deciding where I actually want to settle eventually.
If I could step into any career right now, I’d instantly become a marine biologist. Living so close to the Pacific coast has completely hooked me on ocean life and marine ecosystems. Field research definitely comes with a chaotic, on-the-go lifestyle, but when you’re truly passionate about the work, the lack of location stability just feels like part of the adventure.
If I had the power to instantly fix one global crisis, I’d tackle ocean plastic pollution and marine habitat destruction. Our oceans produce over half of the world’s oxygen and regulate our climate; if we can restore health to the seas, it creates a massive ripple effect that helps combat food insecurity, stabilizes global climate patterns, and protects coastal communities everywhere.
That’s why I’m so eager to jump into an Action project this year; I’m a big hands-on learner who loves getting outdoors, collaborating with people face-to-face, and making a real, visible impact right here in our local environment.
