Employee Spotlight: Former preschool teacher and long-time outdoor enthusiast Sanam Geramifar loves her family, her job…and turkey sandwiches

Sanam Geramifar looked up from her computer, glanced around her office and thought about her life: she has a son that she adores, a close-knit family, and as Federal Title’s disbursement controller since 2018, she enjoys many aspects of her position, even her commute to work!

“I love my job, and I love what I do,” Sanam said. “I love the people I work with. I enjoy handling the money. I enjoy the classes we have to take, the continuing education, meeting the back end of the business, our bank reps and creating relationships with these people and lenders.”

Sanam is devoted to her career and equally devoted to her family, which includes her 8-year-old son. Their home has breathtaking views of a nearby tranquil lake with hiking and bike trails, which she explores with her son. They also play soccer, and ride bikes and scooters. The doting mom said, “I do basically what he likes to do.” Sanam also likes to roller blade and has played basketball since high school, “I’m pretty tall, so it works out well for me.”

As a single mother, Sanam said she is happy her son is thriving in school, and she is proud of herself for creating a budget for them and sticking to it. Sanam is also grateful for the love and support that she has from her family.

“We talk multiple times a day and we see each other multiple times a week,” Sanam said.

The middle child of three daughters, Sanam’s parents were born in Iran while Sanam and her sisters were born and raised in the United States. Sanam speaks fluent Farsi, but she admits she did not inherit her mother’s talent or interest in cooking.

“My mom is such an amazing cook,” Sanam said. “She made us a different dish every night and so easily. We would have nothing in the fridge and she would whip up rice and kebobs, and this and that.”

Because of her background, Sanam said that people assume that she has the same level of culinary skills as her mother, “No, I make a turkey sandwich,” said Sanam. “That’s the best I can do.”

When Sanam thinks about her family, thoughts include fond childhood memories. When she was a child, her aunt lived nearby and ran a daycare center. Between the ages of 10 to 15, Sanam and her sisters spent time with their aunt. “I loved kids,” said Sanam. “I remember we would beg my parents to take us to her house. Me and my sisters would just go over there every day and help her.”

This experience inspired Sanam to become a preschool teacher. She taught at a few different private preschools for a total of 12 years. “After teaching for so many years, I had interned for a couple of weeks at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.”

As an intern, involved in research and investigations, Sanam decided to enroll in college and earned a degree in criminology with an interest in law. With the assistance of a relative, Sanam began working at a law firm, but in a field that she had not considered: business law and real estate, which ultimately led to her to an opportunity to work for Federal Title.

Looking toward the future, when asked about upcoming summer plans, Sanam reminisced about her favorite summer getaways before the pandemic. “I loved going to the beach a lot,” Sanam said. “Even if I couldn’t fly to California or fly somewhere else, I would go to Ocean City or Virginia Beach, like every other weekend, and just kind of spend a couple of days there. And I miss that part. I’m going to try to do that again this summer.”

And on Sanam’s road trip, there will most likely be a delicious turkey sandwich in a cooler.