(10-01-2012 05:39 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Is he Iranian (maybe Iranian-American)?

Very possibly. In 2011 he was a winner of a $3,000 scholarship competition open to Zoroastrians, the ancient religion of Persia.

From the Vakhshoori Foundation's website:

Quote:A word about our community: Zoroastrianism was the religion of ancient Persia, an empire encompassing modern-day Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Known by its practitioners as the “good religion,” it is based on the principals of “good thoughts,” “good words,” and “good deeds”. It is believed to be the first monotheistic religion, and it teaches that human behavior has clear consequences in the hereafter. The Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century AD meant that Islam became the official religion of the land. Many Zoroastrians converted, some fled to India, and some fled to the countryside where they could continue to practice their faith. The number of Zoroastrians has dwindled considerably over time, and they are now scattered across the globe. Despite this Zoroastrians have thrived, and they have sought out higher education in disproportionately high numbers.

In 2007 the Vakhshoori Foundation created the Vakhshoori Scholarship (formerly Ahura scholarship) with an eye toward fostering the next generation of community leaders. Each spring the Ahura Scholarship is awarded to promising Zoroastrian students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the U.S. and abroad. A vital part of Zoroastrianism is the belief in free will, the idea that each individual shapes her or his own life. By funding young people’s education, the Vakhshoori Foundation helps them acquire the know-how necessary to act on their choices and make their dreams come true.

(We have some family friends who are Zoroastrian, who came to the U.S. from India.)