Beginning her second semester as Associate Librarian at Castilleja, Samira Bozorgi continues to strengthen and fuel the research department on campus.
Bozorgi was born in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, but has lived in San Carlos since the age of nine. She was quite shy as a child, but school was “everything” to her: “friendship, community and learning.”
Bozorgi studied modern literature as an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz. She was inspired to pursue this academic path because of her high school English teacher, Mr. Hill, who she said was “passionate, hilarious, quirky and trusted his students.” Bozorgi said she felt comfortable with Mr. Hill, describing how she often had scholarly conversations with him.
After college, Bozorgi earned her master’s in library science at San Jose State University. While she knew she wanted to pursue a career involving learning and reading, she said, “At [the] time, I didn’t think what my next step was gonna be.” As library science was a broader field of study, she felt like she had independence and flexibility in choosing her profession.
Bozorgi soon joined the Hoover Institution at Stanford University as an archivist, managing the exhibition programs and later going on to become Head of Engagement. But after 15 years at Hoover, she said she felt ready for a change.
With significant experience working alongside established scholars and college students, Bozorgi said she wanted to work with students who were at the beginning of their research journey. Bozorgi found herself particularly drawn to Castilleja: “I loved the culture of the campus. Casti is very well-known for investing in their girls.”
In her free time, Bozorgi loves cooking, hosting friends and family, gardening and going to concerts. “It’s my happy place to put on music and cook. My family hosts Thanksgiving every year, along with all the other holidays,” Bozorgi said. Another joy of hers is antique and secondhand shopping, as she is often very inspired by history and artifacts.
As this next semester begins, Bozorgi is excited to continue bringing her experience as an archivist to the school to enhance students’ research experience in the Castilleja library.
