PAAIA Announces “I am Cyrus” Contest Winners

April 16, 2013, Washington, D.C. – The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) is proud to announce the winners of the “I am Cyrus” contest. The contest, sponsored in part by Mission: Restore, was created to celebrate the diversity and richness of Iranian culture.  From essays to paintings, videos to sculptures, Iranian Americans of all ages conveyed their own message of what they believe their Iranian heritage represents.

The winners of the “I am Cyrus” contest, selected from numerous entries that were submitted, are as follows:

Group 1: Non-Student                                           Josephine Mairzadeh

Group 2: University/College Student                       Yasaman Louhghalam

Group 3: High School Student                                Paniz Shahbazian

Group 4: Middle School Student                             Benjamin Malek

Group 5: Elementary School Student                      Yasha Sarhangpour

One of the five selected winners will also be selected as the overall grand prize winner to be used by PAAIA to further promote our culture and heritage. The grand prize winner will be featured on the PAAIA website, and will also receive an additional prize of $250.

Voting for the grand prize winner will take place on PAAIA’s Facebook page and will be open until April 23, 2013.  Click here to view the winning entries and to vote for the grand prize winner.

PAAIA thanks all of those who submitted an entry and congratulates the winners of this contest.  PAAIA also thanks Mission: Restore for its sponsorship of this contest. Mission: Restore is a non-profit organization that provides life-changing plastic and reconstructive surgery both globally and locally to children and adults in need.

Group 1: Josephine Mairzadeh	Gropu 2: Yasaman Loughalam
Group 3: Paniz Shahbazian	Group 4: Benjamin Malek
Group 5: Yasha Sarhangpour