Adil Baguirov entrepreneur

Education runs in Adil Baguirov's blood.

Baguirov, who this past year was elected to the Dayton Board of Education, is just a veritable open book on subjects which range from education policy to the annals of the Ahiska Turkish community in Dayton, where he's among the rising leaders. He's also a teacher at several universities, including University of Dayton. Adil Baguirov Dayton

The well-traveled educator says the freedoms he's enjoyed in America have continued to amaze him, even once the mountainous terrain of his native Caucasus region occasionally make him consider home. Born in a part of the Soviet Union today called Azerbaijan, Baguirov loves the small things in Dayton, from the open hours of restaurants to his favorite local spots like Press Coffee, where he met me for drinks and cake.

Q: That which was it like visiting America?

A: I was supposed to attend law school in Moscow when I graduated from high school. I was 15, and I already was get yourself ready for the entrance exams, and the results came that I was accepted into among the schools in the United States. I jumped for joy and told my parents I wanted in the future here, though it was an inferior university in Michigan and I'd planned for just one of the best universities in Moscow.

That has been early ‘90s, and I didn't would like to study law, I wanted to learn about business and I thought the curriculum here will be better.

From the time, a very important factor resulted in another, I used in a college in Los Angeles, lived in Washington D.C., and I'd a great experience coast-to-coast and traveling around the country. I got to learn more of America and the different experiences here, the different accents, expressions and I like it. When you go to European countries, I usually bring samples of how we do things in America, typically either in operation aspects.

Q: What do you prefer best about living here?

A: Freedom of speech which will be enshrined here. It's hard to sue a person because he expressed his thought, and that's completely different even for advanced companies in Europe. You can be easily sued for something. Oahu is the little things I find. The stores open 24 hours, that's so awesome. In Europe and in the big cities, if you intend to have lunch after 2:30, you're out of luck. They shut things down until dinner. Here you can go like a meal at just about any time. Everything from something high as much as something very practical. I, as an immigrant and naturalized American, find lots of little things like which can be better, although I already knew Europe really well and I knew the culture.

Q: How's the culture different?

A: Parents are very happy for the successes of the children. They cut them lots of slack, they desire them to enjoy life. Our grandparents had harsh lives and bad conditions and they would like to make sure their children can enjoy life and get things they certainly were unable to get, such as education, and the capacity to enjoy freedoms and make money like they certainly were unable to do when they certainly were persecuted.

We've proven it, with eight years in America and the impact we've had here.

Q: Would you keep something that reminds you of home?

A: Definitely. I'm a mountaineer myself, entering mountains, skiing, flying. I really like snapping pictures and post them. They're just mountains, but I really like them, they're so beautiful.

I really like the culture and history of that part of the world. I studied it, even though I studied business and political science and international relations. I've published several historical articles in peer-reviewed journals so I'm kind of an amateur historian, too. I really like history. It's why I teach that program at UD and I do it at many schools including George Washington University in D.C. and some others. Adil Baguirov Board of Education

I like the annals, and the culture, I have great appreciation for them and I see them interesting, from the cuisine the dances the costumes, and so on. I've been active in the nonprofit sector, most of them in Washington, so I put my passion into use and action. I'm very proud to possess brought in some pretty big items that way.