Sami was born and raised in Los Angeles, but please don’t hold that against him. After high school, he packed up and traded the sunny beaches of Santa Monica for the academic rigor of Duke. Coincidentally, some people have called Durham “the LA of central North Carolina.” (Yep, some people definitely say that. Just don’t ask who.) Sami graduated from Duke with distinction in 2020, writing a page-turning History thesis about the Communist Party of Great Britain’s response to the geopolitical upheavals of 1956 — events like the Hungarian Revolution and those Khrushchev revelations that everyone remembers and still talks about often. Again, real page-turner.

After college, Sami returned to Los Angeles to work in the entertainment industry. Eventually, he got the chance to write a romantic comedy for an LA-based production company, and brilliantly decided that the best place to write the aforementioned rom-com — set in Savannah, Georgia — must be London. Once again, Sami departed California, but this time hopped across the pond. He’s been living in the Big Smoke ever since, taking full advantage of the digital nomad lifestyle and traveling as much as possible before the sun sets on his fleeting youth.

An integral part of Grey Eyed Owl, Sami specializes in High School Admissions, College Advising, Essay Writing, History, and English. His extensive background helps guide students through the intricate world of academic research and writing, while his experience in admissions advising gives students the tools to navigate the application process with confidence and clarity. Whether he's helping a student craft a standout personal statement or dissecting a historical text, Sami’s goal is to make sure his students leave with not only the knowledge they need but also the skills to succeed beyond the classroom.

Sami is still an avid history buff, and his recent travel highlights have included a long-overdue pilgrimage to the Parthenon, a trek into the Cambodian jungle to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat, and a full-body scrub in a Turkish hammam courtesy of a heavyset man named Ozan. If you’re wondering how he manages to work concurrently on UK, NY, and LA schedules given the vast time differences, the arrangement has actually proven to be the perfect complement to his proclivity for a semi-nocturnal lifestyle.