This month's Featured Alumnus is Arsalan "RC" Sayyah '82. RC's Avon experience is unlike any other as he and his brother, Orod '82 arrived from their home in Tehran, Iran on the cusp of the Islamic Revolution. RC recalls his arrival, "I remember standing just outside of the refectory entrance at dinner time and my father stopped me and gave me a hug and said, 'I will be back with your mom, brother and sister in six months.' Little did I know, I would not see them again for 17 years due to the revolution and war that was to consume that country for years to come. When the U.S. hostage crisis followed the ugly revolution in Iran, I remember feeling that my own family was held 'hostage' as they were not allowed to leave Iran or enter the U.S."
This alone makes RC's story incredible, but more astounding still is that he was only twelve years old at the time. His young age makes his story all the more impressive, but it also means he had the unique responsibility of participating in the Boar's Head Festival as the youngest boy twice! He describes, "It was terrifying to participate in Boar’s Head, keeping in mind my age, I was in an entirely new country, did not speak much English at all and I honestly believed I was being sacrificed that night. Surely no one could blame me for not wanting to participate in that same event the following year. The boys had some fun when they realized how scared I was by making my fears worse, but looking back, it was such a fun-filled event."
After graduating from Avon, RC and Orod attended Indiana State University, where the revolution in their home country continued to complicate their lives: “We had no money and could not find a job. We were under-aged and had no car. We had no family or friends to support us. Food was scarce. I remember following my nose into the school cafeteria where a sign hung on the back door stating, "DISH WASHER NEEDED IMMEDIATELY." I think the pay was about $3 an hour and I was hired instantly, but the most exciting part was when the manager, without ever looking up from his papers, said, 'Whenever you work you can have all the food you want for free.' It was literally like winning the lottery. My brother and I enjoyed many pieces of 'fried chicken carried by pocket' for months. Soon the old ladies working the kitchen found out about our situation and our favorite foods would be stashed in a safe place for me to pick up after my next shift."
Despite the extraordinary hardships he faced as a young man, RC went on to achieve a successful career in business, retire at 45 and recently begin a second career as a professional actor. He explains this unlikely turn of events: "I was approached at the gym by a casting director for Fast & Furious 7to participate in that feature film as a background extra for a party scene and through the process of auditioning and meeting industry people I was encouraged to take up acting classes and pursue a career in this industry. I have only been a professional actor for less than two and a half years but have been extremely fortunate in back-to-back bookings in leading and supporting roles in film and TV series projects filmed in Atlanta and surrounding areas. I have also appeared on several national TV commercials and am cast as a host for a local talk show about the Atlanta-based film industry."
After all of this, RC still remembers his time at Avon fondly, "George Trautman was tough as nails, but when the chips were down and he realized there were no funds flowing out of Iran to cover the shortage in our last year’s tuition, he stepped up and found a way to keep us there to finish. Having had no family, I think everyone at AOF did something to comfort us and make us feel less homesick and scared."
The Sayyah saga continues at Avon, as RC now has a son, Preston '18, attending. RC explains, "I really can’t describe the full array of emotions I experience knowing my son attends AOF. It is a mixture of pride, happiness, satisfaction and excitement."
