Two Oregon alumnae named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Alumnae Sabrina Ionescu, BA ’19 (general social science), MS ’20 (advertising and brand responsibility), and Zaria Parvez, BS ’20 (advertising), were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the sports and social media categories, respectively.

 

Sabrina Ionescu

Sabrina Ionescu is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. She remains the NCAA leader in career triple doubles, with more than twice as many as the runner-up. She’s also the only player in NCAA history – male or female – with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.

Just a few months after leading the Ducks to the Final Four in 2019, Ionescu graduated with her bachelor’s degree after only three years. She enrolled in a master’s program and returned to Oregon Women’s Basketball for a fourth season. Unfortunately, that season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2020, Ionescu was selected as the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft by New York Liberty, where she’s become the youngest player in WNBA history to post multiple career triple-doubles.

Off the court, she has investments in Buzzer Media and Nex, and works closely with Kevin Durant as an ambassador for media company Boardroom and strategic partner with his Thirty Five Ventures, according to Forbes. Oregon Women’s Basketball head coach Kelly Graves also recently announced that Ionescu will be joining his support staff in a part-time capacity as director of athletic culture.

“Sabrina exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon Duck and she represents everything our program is about,” Graves said in a press release.

To learn more about Ionescu's journey, check out the SOJC's in-depth feature story on her told by basketball legends like Kobe Bryant and Diana Taurasi, her professors, and other fans. Plus, read her Forbes 30 Under 30 profile.

 

Zaria Parvez

Zaria Parvez is the creative genius behind Duolingo’s viral TikTok account. In a matter of three months, over 2 million people followed the account to watch the language-learning app’s mascot, a big green owl named Duo, playfully harass employees, sass viewers, and participate in other antics.

“Parvez may be one of the most influential voices in corporate social media,” Forbes said in Parvez’s 30 Under 30 profile. “Under her direction, Duolingo has become known for its irreverent, snarky presence on TikTok – commenting on content even if it has nothing to do with learning new languages.”

In her first job out of college, Parvez has made a name for herself in the advertising and social media space, receiving attention from NBC News, Business Insider, and Rolling Stone. With 5 million TikTok followers, Duolingo was named AdAge’s 2022 Creativity Awards Social Marketer of the Year.

After nearly two years as Duolingo’s social media coordinator, Parvez was promoted to global social media manager, where she runs their global accounts for Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

She was initially drawn to the company because of values established in the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), such as collaboration; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and the prospect of creating a brand presence that could make a positive impact on the world.

“I really wanted to be at a company where diversity was part of the DNA of who they are,” she told the SOJC. “That’s why Duolingo was on my radar – it was started by two immigrants. Our whole thing is to make education accessible and free."

Learn more about Parvez's career journey thus far through the SOJC's profile on her.