Ozgur Ulas (he/him) was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. Just before turning 20, he made the difficult decision to flee the country due to political persecution, in search of a place where he could express himself freely. His Kurdish background has uniquely shaped Ozgur’s understanding of the world, sparking his passion for geopolitics and motivating him to fight for marginalized communities through social justice advocacy. Throughout his life, Ozgur has been involved in a wide range of social and political initiatives to support meaningful causes he believes in, from feeding stray cats in Istanbul (despite being allergic) and collecting waste oil for recycling to helping earthquake victims.
After facing barriers to continuing college in the U.S. due to his legal status, Ozgur obtained a High School Equivalency Certificate and took the IELTS to demonstrate his English proficiency. He then submitted numerous additional documents to enroll in college and began interning at the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford University. He is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in Political Science at City College of San Francisco and hopes to transfer to a university and complete his bachelor’s degree. In the long term, Ozgur aspires to contribute to lobbying efforts in Washington D.C., advocating for:minority rights, raising awareness about the Kurdish political movement, decolonization efforts, and women’s struggle for self-liberation in the Middle East.
As a DreamSF Fellow, Ozgur is placed at the Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), supporting the San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative’s free naturalization workshops. During the fellowship, his goals are to leverage his interpersonal skills, expand his professional network, and gain hands-on experience in community-focused work that makes a meaningful impact.
In his free time, Ozgur loves watching soccer (particularly the remaining games of Lionel Messi as he nears retirement) while enjoying his favorite dessert, the cold milky baklava. He finds joy in traveling by hitchhiking and peace in hiking and camping with friends. Ozgur is also learning traditional Kurdish folk dances to reconnect with his cultural roots.
