You can’t have my autograph (unless you ask nicely)
By JALAN TEHRANIFAR — features@theaggie.org
My name is Jalan Tehranifar, and I’m the girl you’ve seen around campus on the tiny purple moped (it’s meant for children) — but that’s not all that I am.
When I first arrived at UC Davis at 16, I was stepping into the unknown — both for myself and for my family. As a half Persian, half Armenian daughter of immigrants, I was the first of my siblings to go to university, the first in my extended family to move away from home for college and the first to chase a future in law. There was no roadmap for this. Just determination and a deep belief that I could build something new. And somehow, I did.
UC Davis became more than a college campus. It became a place where I unraveled, regrouped and slowly rebuilt. I started out as a biological sciences major and quickly learned that discipline alone can’t carry you through something you don’t love. Struggling in school was a wake-up call — but also a turning point. I found my way to international relations, and in doing so, found a version of myself that felt more aligned, more alive. Being Armenian and Persian has always meant holding complex histories and hybrid identities. Studying international relations gave me the language to make sense of that — to see the personal and the political as deeply intertwined.
Writing for The California Aggie was one of the first things I did here. I joined the features desk my very first quarter, writing articles all throughout my first year. I took a break for a few years, but when I returned as a fourth-year, it felt like coming home. Writing for The Aggie allowed me to connect with the history of UC Davis and with students I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. Journalism taught me how to listen more deeply and speak more precisely — skills I’ll carry with me for a lifetime.
One of the most meaningful parts of my time at The Aggie was creating the “Senior Send-offs,” a series I began in 2022 and revived this spring. Each spring, I interviewed four graduating students — one from each college — and wrote personal profiles that celebrated their time at UC Davis. The send-offs became a way for me to reflect not only on others’ journeys, but also on how we all leave pieces of ourselves behind when we move on. There’s something special about putting someone else’s story into words and knowing it’ll live on in the archives — proof that they were here, and that they mattered.
One of my favorite jobs during college was filming coaching tape for the UC Davis football team for the 2024-25 season. Instead of interning at a legal office (which I should have been doing), I was at the UC Davis football field for every practice and every home game. This season was one of our best, and it was exciting to see students care so much and cheering on their fellow Aggies. It reminded me how much fun this campus can be, especially when we all show up for each other.
But what I’ll carry with me most are the friendships. The people I met here — some unexpectedly, some slowly over time — became part of my everyday life. And I know they’ll stay in my life long after I leave. I hope me and my girls will always be silly together.
Though I’ll be walking the stage this June, my story with UC Davis isn’t quite over. I’ll spend my final term studying abroad in Paris this fall through the UC Education Abroad Program. And after that, I plan to attend law school, with the goal of pursuing a career in international law.
As much as I’ve loved being a journalist, I know my work going forward will take a different form. But the curiosity, clarity and care that journalism demands will always be part of who I am.
To those still in the thick of it: Your dreams mean absolutely nothing if you don’t put in the work to make them real. There is potential in everyone. I hope you recognize yours — and make something lasting out of it. Also, put lights on your bike. I got hit by a car twice (within 10 days).
Written by: Jalan Tehranifar — features@theaggie.org
