Self-Sacrifice, Belonging, & The Wishing Tree

As a Pakistani-American immigrant, Mariya Ilyas grew up outside of Washington, D.C. before attending Bowdoin College. After leaving a corporate job to pursue a career in public service and then receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Istanbul, Turkey, Mariya discovered the power that lay in her hyphenated-identity.  This episode is a story of resiliency, self-sacrifice, and belonging. Join us to hear how Mariya’s exchange led her to become more open-minded, and how it also led her to a pivotal moment in her time abroad – an encounter with the “Wishing Tree.”