About Paola

Paola was born in İzmir after her family immigrated to Turkey from Italy. She grew up speaking French, Greek, and Turkish with her family. She studied psychology at a university in İzmir and soon after met her husband. Together they lived in Germany and Hawaii before deciding to move to Seattle in 2007. She has many family members back in İzmir and plans to spend some time in İzmir and Greece in the future. She currently owns a restaurant where she serves Turkish, Italian, and Greek food in order to preserve her culture and share it with others. She was introduced to the Turkish American Community of Washington through her restaurant, and she catered multiple events and attended some Turkish festivals. She speaks Turkish at home and tries to pass traditions down to her son. She finds the U.S. welcoming and feels comfortable being surrounded by immigrants from all around the world.