Nazdaneh (Little Darling)
By Nima Zahadat
To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.
Theodore H. White
Nazdaneh came to the U.S. from Iran when she was 13. She lost her mother at 14. She graduated high school with honors and attended George Mason University graduating with a degree in Biology. She then obtained employment as a dental assistant and soon enrolled in the dental program at Temple University in Pennsylvania. She graduated as a D.D.S. in 2001 with honors and subsequently did her residency at University of Virginia. Nazdaneh then started to work at local practices in the Richmond, VA area and in 2004 obtained employment at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility. Nazdaneh married her husband, a Richmond police officer, in June 2006. They had a little boy together in February 2007. Nazdaneh's body was discovered on March 5th in her car with a bullet in her head. She leaves behind her little boy who resides with his father.
- Graduated with honors from Wakefield High School, 1989
- Attended GMU and graduated with honors in 1995
- Attended Temple and graduated with honors in 2001
- Obtained D.D.S.
Nazdaneh put herself through school without the benefit of receiving tuition support from her family. She insisted on doing it by herself in order to make her mother proud.
Despite her accomplishments, she considered her greatest gift to the world to be her little boy, Ian. She adored her son like few mothers would and Ian returned the favor by not crying (unusual but true), always laughing, and being an attentive and wonderful boy despite his young age.