Student spotlight: Julia Milani

"As an Iranian-American, I wanted to dive deeply into my family's culture and language. Especially as the women of Iran lead a revolution against the regime, I feel that I now have a better grasp of current issues in Iran and am ready to contribute to the conversation meaningfully," says Julia Milani who will graduate with honors from Stanford in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in global studies with a specialization in Iranian studies. 

One of Julia's favorite experiences at Stanford was taking a class with her uncle, the director of the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies, Dr. Abbas Milani. "I had the unique pleasure of taking my uncle's class on U.S.-Iran Relations. Growing up, I heard many stories of how amazing Professor Milani is as a lecturer and a mentor. Having the opportunity to finally experience his phenomenal class was such a gift, and one that I will never forget," she shared. 

Julia had the opportunity through the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) to spend three weeks in Jordan in September 2022. Although Julia wished she could have traveled to Iran, Jordan was the first country in the Middle East Julia had ever visited. She visited Amman, Petra, Jerash, and the Dead Sea, among other places.

After graduation, Julia plans to move to New York City to pursue dance and musical theater.

Congratulations, Julia!