My name is Darya Iranmanesh (she/her) and I am a junior public health and political science dual degree student at UMass Amherst. One fun fact about me is that I lived in Washington DC for a semester and absolutely loved it. My long-term goal is to advocate for those with disabilities through policy work (and hopefully make it back to DC!). I have been writing since 2017, with my first published article in Education Week in 2018 discussing my experience with the special education system. I was born with a rare genetic disease that has left me significantly visually impaired. I hope to spread awareness through talking about my experience with blindness and disability in general. I really enjoy reading (Colleen Hoover is my favorite author), music (Taylor Swift fan here!), and indoor cycling. I hope to become a spin instructor someday in addition to my other projects. My favorite TV show is definitely Grey's Anatomy and my favorite movie is Mean Girls, a classic! I am a member of the UMass Persian Student Association and am part of the Pre-Law society. I hope you enjoy my articles, as I am excited to share my thoughts on all things lifestyle and social change with you!