Alexandra Bezdikian, Neighbor

Alexandra grew up in a very atypical, multi-ethnic household without a television. That said, her earliest pleasures in life included reading, climbing trees, imaginative theatrical productions, and more reading. By age 7, Edgar Allan Poe was her favorite American fiction writer. By age 10, she knew she wanted to be a writer herself.

After studying journalism and comparative religion at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she moved to San Francisco and began producing videos for MotherJones.com, as well as fronting their outreach communications department. She's been writing freelance for a few years, publishing in the Armenian Reporter newspaper as well as pro bono for various other niche publications. She graduated from Cal Poly as 2007's Journalist of the Year, having been Cal Poly's voice of Pop Culture on campus with Pop-tart, the popular culture column in the university's award winning newspaper, the Mustang Daily. At Cal Poly, she was the recipient of a four- year athletic scholarship for women's soccer.

A a self-proclaimed non-conformist, and a huge fan of old books, great photographs, graphic novels and visual storytelling, Alexandra's passions include: studying world religions, taking social action, fighting for human rights, wandering countries, drinking tea, and enjoying friends and family.

Find her at www.alexandrabezdikian.com