When Farhad connected with Pivotal while preparing for college, he was building a new life in the United States after arriving from Afghanistan as an unaccompanied minor refugee. He was learning English, navigating an unfamiliar education system, and thinking about how education could shape his future.

His mother had long emphasized education as a path to opportunity — a belief he carried with him as he prepared for college. Farhad learned about Pivotal through Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and received a Pivotal scholarship (then known as the YES Scholarship) while pursuing his bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of San Francisco.

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Pivotal later helped connect Farhad with a scientific internship opportunity at Gilead Sciences. Through the internship, he gained firsthand experience in an industry environment and saw how scientific training could be applied outside academia. The experience broadened his understanding of possible scientific careers and contributed to his preparation for graduate school.

After earning his bachelor's degree in chemistry from USF, Farhad went on to earn a PhD in chemistry at the University of Washington. His doctoral research focused on semiconductor thin films, surface and interface chemistry, and materials characterization, with relevance to emerging optoelectronic technologies. Having completed his PhD, he is now pursuing full-time industry roles that draw on this background.

When asked what he is most proud of, Farhad points both to completing demanding scientific training and to the persistence required to reach that point. "I am proud of earning the degree and of the resilience it took to keep moving forward through the language barriers I faced early on in my journey, financial strain, and uncertainty," he says. "The science and training mattered deeply, but so did learning not to be discouraged by daily challenges and continuing to work through them."

Farhad also emphasizes that resilience does not require navigating every challenge alone.

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His message to younger scholars reflects what he learned along the way:

"Ask questions, seek support, and make use of the resources and opportunities around you. A scholarship, introduction, or internship may seem like one step on its own, but over time those steps can build on one another and change the direction of your life."

Farhad is currently pursuing full-time industry roles involving semiconductor process development and engineering, materials engineering and R&D, thin films, materials characterization, and related technical work, while remaining open to adjacent opportunities in clean energy, photovoltaics, and advanced materials.

If your work or network intersects with these areas and you would be open to sharing industry insight, discussing a relevant opportunity, or making an introduction, please get in touch so we can connect you with Farhad!