Kristin Delfs, a Greek American, served as the Membership Coordinator at the Levantine Cultural Center in 2011. Works of literature such as The Bastard of Istanbul, The Saffron Kitchen, and Reading Lolita in Tehran were her introduction to a world she realized she knew very little about. She was intrigued by the polarity and difference that seemed to surround Middle Eastern debate and conversation, and decided that the only way to completely comprehend the politics of the region was to understand the history, language, religion and culture.

Kristin DelfsShe is currently completing a dual-degree in Economics and History with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Her fascination with the Middle East and North Africa, as well a desire for cross-cultural understanding took her to Oman, the U.A.E., and Morocco, where she studied Modern Standard and Colloquial Moroccan Arabic. She plans to combine her passion for Middle Eastern culture and history with her strong interest in international economics, and hopes to pursue a Master's Degree in Middle Eastern Studies in the future.