Alumna 2001 Thrives in Foreign Policy
Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, Class of 2001, has gone on to have a distinguished career in foreign policy and recently completed two years of service at the White House. Since completing her undergraduate education, Sahar has worked for the United States government in various capacities in support of a variety of U.S. national security priorities.
Sahar began her career in 2005 at the U.S. Department of Defense, where she served as a foreign affairs analyst. After several years of dedicated service, she became a senior foreign affairs analyst and was later promoted to be a team chief.
Following her tenure at the U.S. Department of Defense, Sahar joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign affairs officer and was subsequently detailed to the White House from 2014 to 2016. At the White House, she served as a director for Iran and Iran Nuclear Implementation on the National Security Council (NSC). At the NSC, she was part of President Obama’s team responsible for supporting the P5+1 nuclear negotiations with Iran, ultimately culminating in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an understanding reached between the P5+1 (The United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and Germany), the European Union, and Iran, which verifiably prevents Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Sahar recently returned to the U.S. Department of State and is currently serving on Secretary of State John Kerry's Policy Planning Staff, where she remains focused on Iran and is charged with taking a longer term, strategic view of global trends and framing recommendations for the Secretary of State to advance U.S. interests. She is a career civil servant and in her nearly 12 years of public service since joining the U.S. government in 2005, Sahar has received numerous awards from a variety of agencies including the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Counterproliferation Center, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She was also awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism.
Sahar received her bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a double concentration in international economics and Middle East Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University in 2005 and her master’s degree in Persian studies from the University of Maryland-College Park in 2007. Sahar knows multiple foreign languages including Persian/Farsi, Dari, Spanish and Arabic.
“Among the many ways in which attending Hamden Hall helped shape my future trajectory was the opportunity to serve as a peer leader in the Peer Leadership Program, through which I was able to develop and practice invaluable communication and leadership skills,” Sahar said. “As peer leaders, some of my fellow senior classmates and I were able to help impact positive change and bridge gaps in understanding among the student community.”
Sahar added the program allowed the peer leaders, as a community of students of diverse backgrounds, to address and tackle a variety of important issues together, taking into account a range of viewpoints.
“Some of these same skills are inherent to the art of diplomacy and efforts to address important U.S. national security challenges through dialogue,” she said.
Looking back on her Hamden Hall experience, Sahar credits several teachers for making an impact on her life thus far, notably Marc Osborne, Yasmin Haque, Suzanne Hamlin-Smith, and Hank Mixsell.
“My incredible Spanish teachers may remember that I've long held a deep curiosity and passion regarding other languages and cultures,” Sahar said. “It was also August 2001 when I first arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin my undergraduate studies. Just a few weeks later, the tragic events of September 11th shook my new city alongside the rest of the country and the world. Such factors led to me to embark on an academic and professional journey focused on International Affairs and the Middle East.”
As the new Trump Administration takes office in 2017, Sahar, who lives in the Washington D.C. metro area and is classified as a civil servant rather than a political appointee, plans to continue on in her current position and embark on her 12th consecutive year of public service.
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
