Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, I enjoyed a typical American childhood—watching basketball in the bleachers, riding bikes with my brothers, and then getting around to my homework.

That all changed in middle school when my father traveled to Jordan to care for his ailing mother and was denied re-entry to the U.S. by the Bush Administration. My family uprooted and relocated to stay together and fight for my father’s reinstatement. It took eleven years, but we won.

I worked hard in school so I could one day return to the country I loved. I attended American University and went on to Boston University for dental school. Today, I run a community based dental practice serving patients throughout metro DC.

Now, I serve in Virginia’s House of Delegates to give back—by helping families stay healthy, with more opportunities to succeed, and more time to spend together.