In times of political turmoil, I remember why I'm here

I became an American citizen out of conviction, not convenience.

The process took years: paperwork, interviews, discipline, uncertainty, and ultimately a decision to formally belong to a democratic project larger than myself. For me, citizenship was never simply legal status. It was an act of faith : a commitment to participate, contribute, and help defend the values that make pluralistic societies possible.

As an immigrant, I was drawn not only to the opportunities of the United States, but to the civic ideals embedded in its mythology and institutions: freedom of expression, constitutional safeguards, public participation, community organizing, and the belief, however imperfectly realized, that individuals possess equal dignity under the law.

Those ideals shaped my worldview precisely because they contrasted so sharply with parts of my formative experience elsewhere. They were aspirational rather than fully achieved, but aspirations matter. They shape culture, public discourse, and collective imagination.

In recent years, however, I have watched many democratic norms erode both in the United States and abroad. The warnings that historians and writers such as Anne Applebaum articulated about the rise of modern authoritarianism no longer feel distant or theoretical. The normalization of political extremism, attacks on institutions, disinformation, and the corrosion of civic trust have transformed political life across democracies worldwide.

That tension, between democratic aspiration and democratic fragility, deeply informs the way I think about development, climate policy, economics, and public life.

I believe the work we do locally reverberates globally. Decisions about energy transition, economic inclusion, environmental justice, public investment, and institutional accountability do not stop at borders. American policy, culture, and markets influence lives far beyond the United States, just as instability and authoritarianism abroad eventually reshape life at home.

My work sits at the intersection of finance, sustainability, public policy, and development because I see these fields as interconnected expressions of the same question: how do we build societies that are both prosperous and humane?

I remain committed to the idea that citizenship carries obligations beyond individual success. It requires participation, critical thinking, solidarity, and a willingness to defend democratic values not only abroad, but at home as well.

One line from the film Good Night, and Good Luck has stayed with me for years: “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.” That idea continues to shape how I think about institutions, policy, and the responsibilities we owe one another in an increasingly interconnected world.