Farzana Marie is a poet and PhD student at University of Arizona's School of Middle Eastern and North Africa Studies, where she focuses on Persian Literature and Creative Writing. She holds a B.S. in Humanities from the U.S. Air Force Academy and M.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for over six years, including two consecutive years deployed in Afghanistan, where she also served as a civilian volunteer at a Kabul orphanage in 2003 and 2004. She is President of Civil Vision International, a non-profit organization working to positively influence future U.S.-Afghanistan relations through connecting, informing, and inspiring citizens of both countries.