Years passed before the news hit us like a lightning bolt. Amrita’s voice cracked as she told me: that very young man was now the newly elected mayor of our city. Zayd Nouri—a former foster youth, Harvard graduate, and someone whose face I’d never forgotten—had risen from adversity to lead.
I remembered him vividly—the quiet calm, the beat-up Corolla, the worn hoodie, the tutoring job he’d just finished that night. When I asked why he was out so late, he chuckled softly. At the time, it was just a small snapshot of a night, but in hindsight, it had quietly shaped a future none of us could have predicted. Continue reading…
