Born in Iran, Shahrzad "Shari" Zamani moved with her family to the U.S. in 2012. Soon she and her brother Shawn enrolled at HCC, where they became active, successful students who each made their marks in unique ways.

A member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the American Medical Student Association, Shari earned the great honor of serving as the 2016 HCC Commencement speaker. While at HCC, Shari worked as a math and science tutor, a student ambassador, and in the STEM program. Her personal mission is to make it easier for all students to have a chance in higher education, regardless of their disabilities and socio-economic status.

Shari graduated with a 4.0 GPA from the USF College of Public Health in December 2018, and she has participated in the USF Foundation’s Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program. She plans to continue her education and will attend graduate school at USF in the fall of 2019. Shari’s passion is improving women’s health and keeping our communities healthy. Her goal is to help reduce health inequalities by implementing innovative initiatives. As a future public health professional, Shari takes pride in serving communities to achieve better health outcomes and stay healthy.