Finalist Miss Canada 2022

Hello,

Sarah was born in Toronto, Ontario to a Persian father and a Canadian mother. After her mother passed away from breast cancer when Sarah was only fifteen years old, she briefly moved to New Jersey to live with her father. Three years later she returned to Canada and completed two literature degrees at Concordia University, the first in English literature, and the second in Creative Writing with a specialization in Poetry. In love with the learning process, she also completed a minor in Biology.

Sarah is determined to honour her mother’s memory by carrying on her compassionate nature. She actively donates and fundraises on behalf of The Canadian Cancer Society, Doctors Without Borders, and The Canadian Red Cross. Inspired by strong and compassionate women throughout history, she also offers help wherever there is need.

Her most memorable international volunteer experience occurred when she applied for and was selected as part of a small group of Biology students to assist with invasive species research and eradication in the Galapagos Islands. She presented her research findings to the local wildlife reserve in hopes it would help efforts to reduce further territory loss for native species. When she was not researching, she helped plant and restore the Scalesia Tree population (an endangered species only found in the Galapagos) on San Cristobal Island.

The following year, Sarah combined her love of the written word with her activism and curated a literary festival called “Off the Page” with a group of her peers in the Creative Writing program. The theme of the festival focused on disrupting oppressive spaces and empowering marginalized bodies. For example, at the time of her enrollment at Concordia, male students were four times more likely to actively participate in class discussions than female students. One goal of the festival was to help foster a safer and more inclusive space for those whose voices were previously unheard.

While curating the literary festival was an empowering experience, it also caused her to reflect on her own life and realize that she, too, was a marginalized voice. For as long as she could remember, she was told that she was “different.”  After years of not being able to figure out what that difference was, Sarah was diagnosed with a cognitive condition—ADHD—that challenged her sense of identity. As she learned more about ADHD, she began questioning her capabilities and was momentarily paralyzed by a growing list of things she was told she “could not do.” Faced with this list, she made a pivotal decision: ignore it!

Unfortunately, Sarah quickly realized that being honest about her ADHD subjected her to negative stigma. She often heard phrases like “you don’t seem disabled” or, most heartbreakingly, “perhaps you should reconsider having children.” This feedback only fueled her urgency to raise awareness for ADHD and other cognitive conditions.

During the pandemic, Sarah used the CanadaHelps website to fundraise for charities offering assessments and support services for people with cognitive conditions. She is also currently collaborating with other writers to assemble an anthology of neurodivergent poetry and short stories. The anthology is a small step to ensure individuals with ADHD, and their experiences, are represented in literature.