During a small reception at Moorpark College in early July, administrators, faculty and family members gathered to honor Manoucher Anissi, who after retirement, enrolled in art classes and other courses of interest. Anissi was awarded a Certificate in the Arts and an Honorary Associate Degree in General Studies, making him the oldest award recipient in the history of Moorpark College.
After immigrating to the United States from Iran, Manoucher Anissi worked for years to ensure that his family was well established in their new country. He enrolled at Moorpark College in his mid-80s and attended classes until he discontinued his studies to be with his wife.
Current Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dianne McKay, attended the reception on behalf of the board.
“It was an honor to see this proud, hardworking family man reach his goal of receiving a diploma from Moorpark College after making sure his children and grandchildren all had an opportunity to do so,” McKay said.
Anissi’s grandson, Adam Lane, reached out to college leadership in hopes of obtaining the degrees on his grandfather’s behalf as an early birthday gift.
“My grandfather’s 95th birthday is at the end of September and I remember my grandfather had mentioned to me that while he loved going to Moorpark he had always regretted not getting his degree,” Adam said.
Anissi had focused much of his course load in the arts but also enrolled in mathematics and language courses.
Anissi immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1979 after the fall of the shah. Before the regime’s downfall, he had worked as the Airport Director of Tehran and Tabriz, Assistant Director of the airport in Abadon and, after retiring from that industry, he worked as a top administrator for a construction company. His successful career had provided the opportunity for his family to live comfortably but after it became clear to him that the safety of his family was in jeopardy, he began making arrangements for them to leave.
Sherry Lane, Anissi’s daughter and Adam’s mother, shared that while their family had been granted luxuries under the previous government that didn’t matter to her father.
“His goal for coming to America was the safety of his children,” Sherry said. “My dad knew that we were raised [to be] very outspoken and liberal. We did have freedom, we weren’t forced to wear [a] veil …. Nothing that you see today [in Iran] … and that’s why his goal was our safety. His goal was our freedom. We preferred to live in a small house to being in prison in a country that was our homeland.”
After leaving Iran, their start in America was humbling. They were limited in how much money they could bring but ultimately found a small two-bedroom apartment off of Balboa Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
One of Anissi’s daughters, still in Iran, feared her children would be dragged into the war and sent her children to the United States to live with their grandparents.
At this point, the family had grown to nine members and Sherry’s two jobs could no longer support the family. Anissi decided it was too big of a burden for one person and, when so while adults his age might be planning their own retirements, Anissi and his wife found work on the assembly line for Tandon, a disk drive and PC manufacturer. Their sacrifice led to opportunities for their daughter to advance within the company, providing economic mobility and stability for the entire family.
“Every single one of the grandchildren, they are doing really well … I guess my dad achieved his goal,” Sherry said. “Our kids are very successful … The goal was never to go to America and get rich … the goal was freedom and liberty.”
According to Sherry, her father’s decision to enroll at Moorpark College in his 80s surprised the family but they all cheered him on.
“I don’t ever remember when I was little my grandfather being very much into art. I think it was just a new challenge for him,” Adam said. “He had overcome the biggest challenge, in having to restart his whole life and then when everything was settled, I think [going to college was to] keep his brain active … He accepted a new challenge and that was the creative side of his brain.”
His grandfather’s art can be found throughout his home and that of his family’s.
Adam said that his grandfather’s work ethic and their family history really pushed him and his cousins to work hard and pursue their own education.
Anissi prides himself on his sharp memory. At the reception he shared a story about the first day of his French class.
“The first day I went to class, I would go before the other students … I found a chair that wasn’t alone, that was for three people. Girls and boys came [and] I was 85 years old and the people that were coming here were 18, 20, 22. Everyone came down and no one came to sit beside me because of my age,” Anissi said.
He remembers the professor, in French, greeting the students and inquiring if they spoke the language. When it came to Anissi’s turn he replied in a longer phrase than the rest of the class, though it was all he knew.
“[The] next day, I wanted to go sit at my table … there was a boy and girl sitting there. They wanted me to speak French to them”, he said.
Annisi’s family believes one of the reasons he is in such great shape mentally and physically is because of his time in college.
“Thanks to Moorpark College…we will never forget what they have done for him…the faculty at Moorpark helped my dad dramatically,” Sherry said. “They were so patient and I don’t think all faculty are like that…I really think that the faculty at Moorpark College made my dad’s life so beautiful, much more beautiful, and I’m very thankful.”
Moorpark College President, Dr. Julius Sokenu said, “Mr. Anissi exemplifies everything possible. We pride ourselves on our diverse culture and opportunities for every single student, no matter their path. We acknowledge this great achievement and we are honored to help Mr. Anissi celebrate his achievements.”
