Parisa Rouhani
Populace
Boston, MA USA
"Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done."
Career Roadmap
Parisa's work combines: Science, Technology, and Learning / Being Challenged
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I realized that I was miserable with the major I was pursuing in college, my parents were decidedly against me changing majors. I was raised with the mentality that I had to work hard now and be rewarded later—even if that meant I'd be miserable in the pursuit. But I had learned early on that I couldn't let others make decisions for me when it came to my personal interests. Thinking for myself, figuring out what I wanted, and making choices that reflected that was ultimately the right path.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Management Information Systems, General
University of Arizona
Graduate Degree
Technology, Innovation, and Education
Harvard University
Doctorate
Developmental Science
Harvard University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I immigrated to the United States from Iran with my family when I was 2 years old and settled in Arizona.
2.
We moved to Brazil for a couple of years for my mother’s job and came back to Arizona when I was 8 years old.
3.
My elementary school wrongly assumed that I should be placed in an ESL class because I had lived in Brazil—through that experience, I learned early on that I couldn’t let others make decisions for me.
4.
We moved many times while I was in school, which gave me a lot of practice navigating different types of systems so that I was better able to figure out what types of experiences I wanted.
5.
I went to college to pursue engineering because it was interesting and new to me, but I realized I hated it and wouldn’t be happy in that type of job, so I switched to management information systems.
6.
I joined the workforce and realized that I still wasn’t as happy in my work as I wanted to be—my job dealt with how things work and I was more interested in how people learn—so I went back to school.
7.
I earned a master’s degree in technology, innovation, and education as well as a doctorate in developmental science from Harvard University.
8.
I co-founded Populace, a think tank focused on imagining and creating a culture where individuality is the norm.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You can't change majors. You need to finish the path you're on. Work hard now and you'll be rewarded later.
How I responded:
When I realized that I was miserable with the major I was pursuing in college, my parents were decidedly against me changing majors. I was raised with the mentality that I had to work hard now and be rewarded later—even if that meant I'd be miserable in the pursuit. But I had learned early on that I couldn't let others make decisions for me when it came to my personal interests. Thinking for myself, figuring out what I wanted, and making choices that reflected that was ultimately the right path.