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By Miguel Valencia 

Edited by Elizabeth Dockett

Mina Ardestani is the principal of McNichols Plaza Elementary in Scranton. Originally from Dallas, Texas, her family moved to the North Pocono area when she was only five years old. Since then, she has lived across different parts of Pennsylvania for the majority of her life.

She has studied in various places across the Northeast, earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish at Temple �Ӱ�ԭ�� in Philadelphia, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on English as a second language from King’s College, and her Master of Science in School Leadership at Marywood. Mina recently graduated from Delaware Valley �Ӱ�ԭ�� earning her Doctor of Education and Superintendent’s Letter.

She settled in Scranton, between the Green Ridge and Pine Brook area, and lives with her fiancé, Richard, her son, Kaveh and her stepson, Richie. In addition to her work in the Scranton School District, Mina also runs a nonprofit in Scranton called Presence from Prison, a program that gives parents from Lackawanna County prison the opportunity to gift presents to their children during Christmas. Although their parent is absent, they are still present in their lives.

Her connection to Scranton is beyond just being a resident, a taxpayer and a community member. She believes she is a true advocate for Scranton. As someone who lives and works in Scranton, she does her best to be a pillar of positivity in the community. She cherishes diversity in Scranton and continues to foster that positivity for everyone in the community, whether it is inside or outside of the classroom.

Q: Why do you live in Scranton?

A: As our children were becoming school age, my fiancé and I discussed where we wanted our children to attend school. Both of us are graduates from North Pocono. We were living in Scranton at the time, prior to me working in the district, and discussed where to purchase our first home. My fiancé was adamant that our children needed to be in a community where they were exposed to diversity and other cultures. I had the same beliefs and values. 

Living in Scranton, I love the convenience of having a store down the street and a neighborhood school. I remember when I was a child, I lived in the country- we didn’t have the option of walking or riding a bike to a friend’s house. Grocery stores were twenty to thirty minute drives, and bus rides to and from school were long.

Q: What's appealing about living in Scranton?

A: I admire and respect other people's cultures and experiences. Every time I speak to my students, I emphasize why I love our school. I love our school and community because of the diversity and how unique everyone is. Every single person brings something different. That is truly what I see in this city.

What do I like about Scranton? That's it. I like that you can turn a corner, and each block you see and experience different cultures. I think it's important for students to realize there's more out in the world than what they just see in their neighborhood or in their household. There are people who have probably never left the area, but there's so much change coming in that exposes them to so much of the outside world that I love.

Q: What does Scranton mean to you?

A: Scranton means community. While there is work that still needs to be done- when called upon, the people of Scranton, the businesses and organizations of Scranton, the children of Scranton- they step up. Every single time that I have needed or asked for help for our students, for our community, the people of Scranton have stepped up. They've donated goods, they've donated money, they've donated time. I think that while you may hear or see negative things about the community or the district or whatever the case may be, what I've experienced is people wanting to help and give back. That means a lot to me.

Q: What do we aspire to be as a city?

A: What should we as a city, aspire to be? Well, although I'm praising the diversity and the uniqueness, I think we still have to continue to work to build other people up in our community, to have open doors and open arms. We should aspire to be more of a whole community, not individual communities within the city. Not the Southside community or the West Side community. Not the neighborhood that has a primarily Hispanic block or Nepali block. I think right now the goal is to teach each other about each other. That's what we should aspire to do. We should aspire to learn about our neighbors and celebrate them. Also with education, I think as a community, we need to be proud of and support our schools and our districts. Have pride in the physical appearance of our neighborhood. I can drive down a street and tell what neighborhoods are taken care of and which ones are not. I think we should aspire to negate all the negativity. We should aspire to show people “you want to be here, you need to be in this community.” Give people a reason to be here. Take pride.

Q: What are your hopes for the city of Scranton?

A: My hopes for the city of Scranton are simple. In terms of education, I hope that the district becomes financially stable to be able to provide everything our students need. I hope that our neighborhoods that are doing revitalization projects continue. When you drive down Cedar Avenue, it’s changing and changing for the better. People are putting the effort in. You'll notice it in some neighborhoods. The holiday house in Scranton, that is what Scranton is. Everyone knows what the holiday house is. Other houses in that community started adding on. It's the trickle effect. I hope that people take pride in their community whether they’re a homeowner or a renter, because we have a transient population. I can say this because I work in a school. I see families come and go. I would hope that this is an environment that people want to stay and grow in and help build community across the entire city, not just in their own little neighborhood. I hope that all the streets get fixed. My hopes are that this is a place that people want to come to. My hope for the city of Scranton is that people find a home here.