Freshman from Timbuktu flies high at Penn

During his first six months as a University student, Wharton freshman Neysan Rassekh found time to recover from a near-death experience and in his spare time, formed two new clubs. Rassekh was born in Portland, Ore., but at the age of four moved to a small village near Timbuktu in Mali. Although he enjoyed his years in the village, Rassekh always looked forward to his summer flights back to the United States. During the summer after his ninth-grade year, Rassekh had an unfortunate experience while attempting to return to Timbuktu. He began the adventure on Alaska Airlines, but after two mechanical problems, one flight delay due to fog, one over-booked flight and four different airlines, Delta brought Rassekh to Paris, and Air Afrique took him on the final leg of the journey. "At one point in the trip, I was forced to run under a airplane to pick up my luggage," said Rassekh. "It was a horrible trip and it took me five days to get home." After this difficult experience, Rassekh decided to devote his life to bettering travel conditions. During his summers, Rassekh worked on various internships to prepare him for airline work. His first was working for the U.S. State Department in Mali during the summer of 1992. While working there, he was the editor of the embassy's newspaper and was responsible for assembling informative welcome kits for former President Carter's visit to Mali. "It was really overwhelming," Rassekh said. Rassekh spent the summers of 1993 and 1994 dealing more with government at the United States Agency for International Development and the Chrysler Corporation. After his time at these organizations, Rassekh said he would not work for the government again. "The bureaucracy was horrible," Rassekh said. "I needed a more enthusiastic and dynamic place to work." During his junior year in high school, Rassekh borrowed money from his parents and took the test to become a travel agent. And at only 17 years of age, Rassekh became a certified travel agent. Rassekh became the youngest licensed travel agent ever. The average age of people taking the test with him was 25. "I remember a lot of late nights trying to balance my school work with the agency work," Rassekh explained. "But I became really popular in school because I handled all my friends' international traveling." During his final two years of high school, Rassekh interned for Mona Travel, Horizon Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines in order to gain more hands on experience. "I love to work," said Rassekh. "I am only truly happy when I am working." That philosophy led Rassekh to found the Wharton Transportation Association. "This club will show how transportation affects our economy and our lives," he said. The club plans to bring industry experts to the University regularly. Besides learning the ins and outs of the travel industry, Rassekh said he discerned the true meaning of unity, diversity and abolishing racism through his time in Timbuktu. Rassekh said he realized how beneficial his background has been. "I noticed that Penn students tend to stay within their comfort zones," he said. "Although I support learning more about one's own culture and background, it is just as important to learn about and appreciate each other's differences." Rassekh decided to act on this idea by forming the Global Village Club, the second group he has founded this year. "I feel there is a lot of potential for enhancing the interaction between different groups at Penn," Rassekh said. During the upcoming months, the club plans to sponsor a Global Food Fest and will bring several race relations experts to campus.