We hosted Ms. Tomris Azeri, President of Azerbaijan Society of America at a luncheon with our school teachers and principals here at The Washington Center of ADA University. Tomris has been a living history of Azerbaijan’s aspirations to restore and reaffirm its independence. She shared with us her story and the story of her family. We talked about a set of values and principles while bringing up children in a family, importance of the flag and rallying round the flag, love of your own country and desire to give back to your country. She told us about her grandfather, Naghi Bey Shahzamanli, one of the founders of the first democratic republic in the eastern world. We heard about her family’s escape from Azerbaijan, their refuge in Turkey and life here in the United States.

ASA has been one of the sponsors to restore and rebuild Qazakh Teachers Seminary. Tomris shared with our teachers her true passion for the mission of Firudin Bey Kocharli and continuation of that mission by Hafiz Pashayev. It was an incredibly uplifting conversation before we all went out to celebrate Azerbaijan’s Independence Day at a reception hosted in Georgetown by Ambassador and Embassy of Azerbaijan.