Discrimination is a word Parisa Shamaei-Zadeh uses often when describing her experience of being an Iranian-American in Eastern Kentucky. Shamaei-Zadeh, a senior at Paintsville High School and a student at Johnson County / Paintsville Early College Academy at Big Sandy Community and Technical College, wrote about her struggles and received $42,000 for the William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship at the University of Kentucky. “It’s quite a paradox, I believe, because I was born in America. I was born in Kentucky and I’m discriminated as a second-class citizen most of the time,” said Shamaei-Zadeh, 17. She is a member of the University of Kentucky Iranian Association and is a cheerleader for PHS. When she graduates in the spring, she will have an Associate in Science degree from BSCTC. She would like to go on to study pre-medicine and wants to be a physician so she can work in undeserved areas. Her father, Dr. Ali Shamaei-Zadeh, is from Iran, and her mother, Patricia Ne...