Children’s author and illustrator Arshan Ghassemi recently visited the Washington State University ROAR program for a reading of his new book, Duck Duck.
The warm connection between Arshan, who is autistic, and members of the ROAR community was immediate and notable. Perhaps it was Arshan’s beloved service dog, Luna, who sat by his side as he read from his book and shared his illustrations, or perhaps it was the story itself.
In Duck Duck, Arshan is himself a character who has moved to a farm and learned to care for the animals. One day, a goose named Duck Duck arrives on the farm. Duck Duck does not get along with the other geese or farm animals, often lashing out at them. One time, he even attacks Arshan. That’s when Arshan realizes that Duck Duck might actually be lonely and scared, so he spends time with the unhappy goose and befriends him—an act of kindness that changes everything for Duck Duck and the whole farm.
Arshan’s story of empathy, kindness, and inclusion truly resonated with the WSU ROAR community and affirmed the power of storytelling to connect, inspire, and make a difference.
WSU ROAR (Responsibility, Opportunity, Advocacy, and Respect), a two-year residential, postsecondary program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supports students in building the academic, career, and independent living skills needed to pursue their own dreams and to participate in college life as Cougs.
Many of the ROAR students had questions about Sweet Creek Ranch, the farm mentioned at the beginning of the book, and where Arshan presently lives. He was eager to talk about his time there, caring for, observing, and drawing the animals. It was clear to everyone that the book reflects Arshan’s journey of understanding and growth, and after he answered their questions, the students shared some of their own experiences.
Arshan’s visit also came with an unexpected reunion. In the audience was a childhood friend named Justin, now enrolled in ROAR. Their reconnection reminded everyone of what an interconnected world we live in and how prevalent Cougars are in the state of Washington, including many members of Arshan’s family who were also in the audience.
Deep WSU Connections
Arshan’s father, Mahmood Ghassemi, a Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture alum and CEO of Sequoyah Electric, is well known in the WSU community for his leadership and generosity. Mahmood has served on the Voiland College Construction Management Advisory Board and presently serves on Dean Partha Pande’s Voiland College Executive Leadership Board. He has invested in multiple scholarships and endowments across the university, from Cougar Athletics to the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Other Cougars in Arshan’s family include his aunt, Leyla Ghassemi, a software engineer, currently pursuing a second master’s degree through WSU Global Campus; his cousin, Shawyon Jaffarbhoy (BS in bioengineering), a regulatory affairs manager at Ondine Biomedical; and another cousin, Arman Jaffarbhoy (BS in mechanical engineering), a manufacturing engineer at Genie Industries.
Cougar pride runs through his family, as does a deep commitment to giving back to WSU. Arshan, too, is a budding philanthropist, announcing to the audience that proceeds from his book support the Seattle Children’s Hospital. He then gave each of the ROAR students a copy of his book.
While not an alum, Arshan has been a major Cougar fan since his boyhood, when his parents took him and his sister to Cougar football games. These many WSU connections were behind his desire to meet with the ROAR community.
A path of growth, compassion, and creativity
In 2015, Arshan’s mother, Schelaine, died following a battle with cancer. Her death devastated the Ghassemi family—Arshan was only 14 at the time. His mother had filled his life, playing a major role in his education, and now she was gone. Schelaine was the one who instilled in him a love of art and animals. While she said that Arshan saw the world through an autistic mind, she encouraged the development of his artistic eye, so Schelaine frequently took him to museums and art exhibits, Woodland Park Zoo, and Belmont’s Kelsey Creek. And Luna, now Arshan’s service dog, was also a gift from his mother.
When Arshan was 15, his father hired Naomi Lam as his tutor. She had a background in special education and saw the same potential in Arshan as his mother had. When Naomi moved to Sweet Creek Ranch, Mahmood and Arshan decided that learning new skills and working on a farm would be a good adventure for him. It has.
At the farm, Arshan spends every morning working on his drawings and taking college-level online drawing courses under Naomi’s guidance. After lunch, he spends much of the day working on the farm, as he described in his book, as well as kayaking along the Siuslaw River, hiking the nearby trails through the hills, or drawing.
“One can really see the progress he has made when viewing the succession of his drawings, as well as his artistic development,” said Naomi.
The ROAR students were also impressed by Arshan’s vivid illustrations with their evocative compositions and color palette—alive with humor and warmth. Like the story, they left a lasting impression on the ROAR students.
In addition to his first book, Duck Duck, Arshan has developed several calendars for the Seattle Children’s Hospital, featuring one of his drawings of a farm animal for each calendar month. He is also working on another book. His father, Mahmood, is also excited about his son’s work progress.
“Every time I see his new drawings, I’m amazed by what he is accomplishing,” said Mahmood.
The power of kindness and the desire to connect
Arshan’s visit truly sparked something in the ROAR community. Inspired by his message and the story of his journey—a journey that many saw in themselves—several ROAR students learning American Sign Language (ASL) decided to use Duck Duck to advance their ASL progress. They are learning to tell Arshan’s story in ASL, and when he comes back to visit them, they plan to present Arshan’s story to him in ASL.
After Arshan’s visit, Kristi Tippett, director of ROAR, said, “That day was one of the most impactful and special opportunities for our ROAR students. The visit underscored why programs like ROAR matter, not only for the students but for our communities.”
Likewise, Arshan’s reading also inspired something new in him: a sense of confidence in connecting with others and, particularly, a desire to share his story with others. He now has plans to read his book and tell his story to the children at the Seattle Children’s Hospital.
While his book’s dedication reads, “to my family and friends for teaching me the power of kindness,” Arshan is a natural at teaching others about the power of kindness and connection.
At just 22 years old, Arshan is already working on his next book, continuing his studies in art, and building his independence at Sweet Creek Ranch. Whether his path leads him to become a student at ROAR remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Arshan made many friends that day—a day of Cougs inspiring other Cougs.
For more information about the ROAR program in the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, visit ceshs.wsu.edu or contact Jennifer Dean at jenn.dean@wsu.edu or (208) 310-1583.