your teacher

Leyla Shams moved from Iran to the Texas when she was four years old. Her first language was Persian, and she continued studying the language, including reading and writing, after her mother (Farzaneh Nouri) became the first Persian language instructor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Leyla graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture, and when she’s not working at the architecture office, she develops language learning materials for people who want to learn Persian: including the Alpha Ring board game, the first board game teaching the Persian alphabet to those outside of Iran, available at www.pleigames.com.

your classmate

Matt Bourneuf was raised in Arlington, Texas, and currently lives in Austin with his wife, Ladan. Matt is interested in learning Persian because it is the langauge that Ladan and her family are most comfortable speaking.

Matt attended Texas A&M University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He currently attends the University of Texas, pursuing a career in healthcare.