Covered up beneath her hijab, there is much more to sophomore Zahraa Alsaabiri than her Persian culture. Through her loving personality and knowledge, she lives life in the moment.

Zahraa was born in Boston, Mass. after her mother, then 14, and father, then 25, came over to the United States from Iran.

This intelligent sophomore handled many different obstacles. At the age of seven, Zahraa’s father kicked her mother out of the house in Boston, Mass. while Zahraa and her two younger brothers, Mohammad and Rada, watched.

“I saw my mom walking away.Then my dad pushed me and my brothers away and told us: ‘Your mom doesn’t matter anymore,” Zahraa said, recalling the painful memory.

After that, her father brought Zahraa and the rest of his children back to Iran to live. He even told Zahraa and her siblings that their mother was dead.

Her family faced many struggles in Iran, which led to Zahraa’s father being unable to afford a life there any longer. Zahraa, her father, and her siblings moved back to Boston, Mass.

However, “In Iran we have a lot of family connections. I get invited to many weddings every year,” Zahraa said.

After years of trying and not being able to contact her children, Zahraa’s mother finally found them and went to court to regain custody. However, no one told the children what was happening, so when she went to court, Zahraa was still under the impression that her mother was deceased.

“I remember going into my mother’s arms and giving her all of the cards I’d made her,” Zahraa said, when she was reunited with the mother she believed to be dead.

“Life was hard without my mother,” Zahraa said. Since resuming life with her mom, “We bonded together. I can tell her almost everything because she has gone through a lot” in her life.

Once again with her mother, Zahraa and her siblings moved to Minnesota, where Zahraa had to repeat third grade at University Avenue Elementary School because of her time in Iran. However, it was not until her freshman year when she arrived at Orono.

“Orono was a big change. It was a very different district and I was very scared and nervous,” Zahraa said.

Coming from a more diverse school district, Northdale Middle School in Coon Rapids, Zahraa was ready for Orono because she had previously become friends with another shy girl at Coon Rapids. They became friends and together they both branched out.

“I was surprised because when I came to Orono, everyone was super nice and friendly,” Zahraa said. “I clicked in right away because of my personality. I used to be super shy and my friends helped me come out of my comfort zone.”

Right now, Zahraa lives with her mother and her brothers. They enjoy many cultural activities, including the celebration of Eid, a holiday gathering that is celebrated with huge feasts and the exchanging of gifts five times a year.

This Persian Princess is different, but loves being who she is, which makes her a great person.

“Sometimes in Orono I feel like I don’t fit in because I dress differently,” Zahraa said. “However, being the same is boring and I’m so thankful that people in Orono accept me for whom I am.”

Going through many impediments, Zahraa has learned many new things and enjoys helping her friends when they are going through tough times.

“Live. Love. Laugh.” is a saying Zahraa uses frequently. Despite all she has endured in her live, she is steadfast in the belief that “Every minute in my life is positive.”