Adil Baguirov

Education runs in Adil Baguirov's blood.

Baguirov, who a year ago was elected to the Dayton Board of Education, is really a veritable open book on subjects including education policy to the history of the Ahiska Turkish community in Dayton, where he's one of many rising leaders. He's also a teacher at several universities, including University of Dayton. Adil Baguirov for County Recorder

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 area of the Soviet Union today referred to as Azerbaijan, Baguirov loves the little 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 arriving at America?

A: I was supposed to attend law school in Moscow when I graduated from high school. I was 15, and I already was preparing for the entrance exams, and the outcome came that I was accepted into one of many schools within the United States. I jumped for joy and told my parents I wanted to come here, even though it was an inferior university in Michigan and I'd planned for starters of the finest universities in Moscow.

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

Ever since, one thing generated another, I utilized in a school in Los Angeles, lived in Washington D.C., and I'd a good experience coast-to-coast and traveling across the country. I got to understand more of America and different experiences here, different accents, expressions and I really like it. Once you head to European countries, I always bring examples of how we do things in America, typically either running a business aspects.

Q: What do you prefer best about living here?

A: Freedom of speech that is enshrined here. It's hard to sue a person just because he expressed his thought, and that's different even for advanced companies in Europe. You can be easily sued for something. It's the little things I find. The stores open 24 hours, that's so awesome. In Europe and in the big cities, if you wish to have lunch after 2:30, you're out of luck. They shut things down until dinner. Here you can go enjoy a meal at just about any time. From something high up to something very practical. I, as an immigrant and naturalized American, find lots of little such things as that are better, even though 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 take pleasure from life. Our grandparents had harsh lives and bad conditions and they want to ensure their children have the ability to enjoy life and get things they were incapable of get, such as education, and the capacity to enjoy freedoms and make money like they were incapable of do when they 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 love snapping pictures and post them. They're just mountains, but I love them, they're so beautiful.

I love the culture and history of the area of the world. I studied it, even when I studied business and political science and international relations. I've published several historical articles in peer-reviewed journals so I'm kind of a beginner historian, too. I love history. It's why I teach that program at UD and I get it done at several other schools including George Washington University in D.C. and some others. Adil Baguirov in Dayton

I prefer the history, and the culture, I've great appreciation for them and I find them interesting, from the cuisine the dances the costumes, and so on. I've been active in the nonprofit sector, many of them in Washington, so I put my passion into use and action. I'm very proud to possess brought in some pretty big things that way.