About Shahnaz
Hi there, I am Shahnaz, Founder and Principal at Youth Compass, a space dedicated to empowering young adults and teenagers (aged 15-30) in personal development, education, and career success. I founded Youth Compass to help youth own their inner compass and navigate life with clarity and purpose. I believe youth are not only our future, they are our present. They are not waiting to lead someday; they are already shaping the world today. Their voices are flames that deserve protection, respect, and space to grow.
With extensive training in youth coaching, including adolescent well-being, resilience, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and growth mindset development, accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) training programs, I combine evidence-based coaching techniques with practical guidance to help young people thrive. My journey in working with young people began as a science teacher for high school students, guiding them in presenting scientific ideas at conferences and supporting their participation in scientific competitions and entrepreneurship events. I realized the gap between education and preparing them for life beyond grades and school. Working with students with high academic performance, I realized inner fulfillment is something beyond following a perfect plan, titles, gold medals, and achievements. It’s about having a strong why, that inner motivation that drives you. It’s about living in alignment with your values, your strengths, and who you truly are. It’s about developing essential life skills that help you navigate uncertainty and create a meaningful life.
My Journey
My path to youth coaching wasn’t linear, it was full of ups and downs, growth and challenges, success and failures. And that’s taught me something valuable: the importance of resilience and finding your own path. We sometimes look at what successful people do, thinking that by doing the same we can reach success. While we can learn from different mindsets and tools, we each have our own unique challenges and journey to walk.
My first experience working with youth goes back to when I started as a science teacher, helping high school students present research at conferences and compete in scientific Olympiads and entrepreneurship events. At the time, I was also working as a researcher in nanotechnology and Alzheimer’s diagnostics. I wanted to teach students that science isn’t about formulas and articles, it’s about analytical thinking, problem-solving, and curiosity.
During that time … Read More …
During that time, I noticed something troubling: students were too focused on grades and getting things right, and schools weren’t preparing them for life beyond. I realized their future success would depend on how they communicate, network, and build essential human skills. But I didn’t know how to support them in that way.
That’s when I discovered academic coaching. I wanted to help students see how they could leverage their academic environment to build the future they love, not just chase perfect grades, but develop the skills and self-awareness they’d need to thrive.
Later, after moving to Switzerland, I deepened my youth coaching practice through hundreds of hours of training in adolescent well-being, resilience, emotional intelligence, and growth mindset development through ICF-accredited and CCE programs. With more than 10 years of experience in academia and industry, I’ve had the privilege of working with students globally, in Switzerland, Iran, Canada, the US, Austria, and beyond.
This international perspective has taught me that while educational systems differ, young people everywhere face the same fundamental challenges: finding clarity about who they are and confidence in where they’re going. Working with students with high academic performance, I’ve seen that inner fulfillment goes beyond following a perfect plan, collecting titles, or winning gold medals. It’s about having a strong why, that inner motivation that drives you. It’s about living in alignment with your values, your strengths, and who you truly are.
Today, I combine evidence-based coaching with real-world guidance to help young adults aged 15-30 own their decisions and build lives aligned with who they truly are. I’ve had the chance to work with young people who are now starting their own businesses, studying in majors they’re excited about, and working in jobs they’re passionate about.
That’s what drives me, seeing our young generation, step into their potential.
My Credentials
Expert training to support both young people and their parents through the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood.
Certified Professional Coach (CPC), Life Coach (CLC), and Money Mindset Coach (CMMC) through the Academy For Coaches.
Specialized training to support young people in building confidence, resilience, and clarity for their future.