Meet Marina Raydun

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marina Raydun a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Marina with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Work ethic was never a choice for me—it was expected. As an immigrant and refugee, I came to this country as a middle schooler and had to take on responsibilities beyond my age, like translating for my family as soon as I learned English. My father set a powerful example—he worked tirelessly his entire life and was also my biggest support during that first, overwhelming year, something I reflect on in my book Year One.

Another defining moment came when I was in first grade. My mom told me that if I finished my homework on Friday night, I’d have the whole weekend free. That simple lesson stuck with me, and to this day, I never leave work for later. I believe in tackling responsibilities head-on, staying disciplined, and always putting in the effort to do things right the first time. Hard work isn’t just a habit for me—it’s a way of life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a writer, and my work is deeply personal. My book Year One is a fictionalized memoir that reflects my experiences as an immigrant and refugee, navigating a completely new world as a middle schooler. Storytelling, for me, is a way to bridge gaps—between cultures and generations. It’s a way to give a voice to immigrant children, whose experiences and mental health struggles often go overlooked. What excites me most about writing is its ability to create connection. I’ve had readers reach out saying they saw their own journey in my words, and that’s the most rad feeling—to know that my story resonates with others, that it unlocks their own memories.

Beyond writing, I see my work as part of a larger conversation about identity and the immigrant experience. I want to continue creating stories that shed light on untold perspectives and, hopefully, help others feel seen.

As for what’s next, I’m working on an upcoming historical fiction novel (title to be determined). I’m excited to keep sharing stories that matter.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

There are three things that shaped my journey both as a writer and a human, in general: resilience, adaptability, and storytelling.

Resilience was essential because, as an immigrant and refugee, I had no choice but to keep pushing forward. There were moments when everything felt overwhelming—new language, new culture, new expectations—but I learned to keep going, even when things were difficult. My advice? Build resilience by embracing discomfort. I know it sounds cheesy and it’s way easier said than done, but it’s true. Every challenge you face is teaching you something, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. Again, I’m not pretending to be some rock star at this but it’s the only thing that works in the long run so I strive for resiliency.

Adaptability came from necessity. Much like resiliency, I suppose. I had to adjust—whether it was learning English or figuring out how to navigate my new enormous school. Being open to learning, willing to pivot, and not being afraid to start over are key. Of course, back then I was terrified, but I had to plow on regardless. If you’re early in your journey, practice adaptability by putting yourself in new situations. This, too, is necessary for long term success in absolutely anything. The more you expose yourself to change, the better you get at handling it. I know it’s hard. Believe me!

Storytelling is what allowed me to process my experiences and share them with others. Writing Year One helped me turn personal struggles into something meaningful. But before I found my voice through writing, music was my anchor. That first year, when words often failed me, music helped me navigate emotions I couldn’t yet express. It was a way to feel connected even when everything else felt unfamiliar. If you’re searching for a way to process your experiences, find something that speaks to you—whether it’s music, art, dance or another creative outlet.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

To be honest, there’s no one single book that shaped my development—it’s actually been a number of different books at different stages of my life. I didn’t start truly reading for pleasure until I was done with law school, at which point, I started inhaling books.

Here goes, in no particular order:

One that had a profound impact on me was American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson. As an immigrant, it resonated deeply with me for its honesty and patriotism, especially as someone who chose this country as my new home. His unapologetic view of being an immigrant and his reflections on what it means to belong gave me a sense of pride in my own journey.

Then there’s Bridget Jones’ Diary—a hilarious, yet honest look at what it’s like to be a woman at a certain age. It’s one of those books that made me laugh, but also made me reflect on the pressure we all face, especially in terms of identity and self-acceptance. I’ll never get tired of the first two installments of this brutally honest character.

Another influential book was All the Rivers by Dorit Robinian. It offered powerful imagery and deep parallels that helped me understand that we all experience things from our own personal perspective. You don’t always have a right and a wrong, only parallel. The honest portrayal of loss, survival, and finding one’s way gave me a new lens through which to view storytelling.

Finally, short stories by Savyon Liebrecht taught me what true mastery of the genre looks like. Her ability to weave complex emotions into such compact spaces left a lasting mark on my own writing, inspiring me to find deeper meaning in every sentence.

Honestly, there have been so many books that gave me different nuggets of wisdom, and each one felt like a gift at the time. I truly could not list them all even if I tried.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marinaraydun.com
• Instagram: @author_mraydun
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarinaRaydun
• Youtube: @marinaraydun4605

Image Credits

Cover Art for Year One by Anna Abramzon