Sami Hamed was raised by a working-class family in Tucson and attended school at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB). Sami graduated from high school at ASDB in 1998, attended Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, where he studied Political Science and Spanish.
For many years, Sami has committed himself to our community on issues ranging from education to transportation, housing, and disability rights. Sami served on the board of directors for the Arizona Center for Disability Law (now Disability Rights Arizona), and he serves on the Primavera Foundation. Sami also volunteers as a U.S. Citizenship Exam Instructor with Pima Community College Adult Education.
From 2003 to 2009, Sami served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind, a K-12 state education institution that serves Arizonaâs blind and deaf children. Sami served as board president and chaired the board finance committee where he helped oversaw the schoolâs land grant trust fund.
Sami sits on the Pima County Merit System Commission & Law Enforcement Council, where he hears Pima County employee appeals relating to terminations and discipline.
Sami served as a congressional aide to U.S. Representative RaĂșl Grijalva for over 7 years. He worked in his Tucson office where he helped residents and businesses solve problems and navigate the governmental processes. Sami also represented Congressman Grijalva at events and meetings throughout the congressional district from Tucson to Yuma and Phoenix to Nogales.
At Amistades, Sami serves as our civics instructor for Proyecto Ollin, where he teaches persons who have U.S. legal permanent residency the U.S. naturalization test to attain U.S. citizenship. Sami also attends various community events promoting the work and impact of Amistades.