Samir Madden

Why are you in Arizona?
I was born in India and lived in an orphanage until I was five years old. I was adopted by a Tucson pediatrician and his wife in 1997 and came to live here. If it hadn’t been for my new parents, I would have died before I was eight as I am disabled with prosthetic legs and no forearms or hands. I am very fortunate and appreciate my parents, the people who cared for me in the orphanage and all that I have found in Tucson. I am currently a graduate student at UArizona, and I served an internship with Raytheon.

What concerns you?
The biggest challenges for Tucson are the lack of job opportunities and wages that are not competitive with other markets. My internship with Raytheon as a program planner has given me the chance to understand the workforce culture they have created. Right now, they hire UArizona engineers, but I hope to interest them in looking at graduates from other fields like business. It could give more Tucson graduates a reason to stay.

Why would you leave?
I like the relaxed culture and the proximity of my parents here. I would only leave for a great job.