Aryon Shahidzadeh is passionate about empowering community leadership through collaborative urban design and planning processes.

During his time at Seattle University, Aryon developed campus programs alongside LGBTQ+ students of color, and first-generation students in Seattle Public Schools. Through various government and nonprofit roles, Aryon has contributed to at-home job training programs, immigration casework, and after-school support services. Prior to the Coro Fellowship, Aryon was the Operations Manager at the Washington Bus, a youth-led policy advocacy nonprofit, where he deepened his knowledge of nonprofit finance and statewide organizing.

Aryon’s Coro placements included USC’s Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, Concordia LLC, Unite Here Local 11, Innovative Housing Opportunities, and the City of Glendale’s Office of the City Manager. His Coro experiences in affordable housing development and resident-driven design have been instrumental in his professional trajectory.

Aryon is currently a first-year graduate student working toward his Masters in Urban & Regional Planning at UCLA Luskin. He hopes to embark on a career that fosters partnerships between academic institutions, policy advocates, and the communities they aim to serve.