judging procedures

saleem kanjiyani

Saleem Kanjiyani is the CEO and co-founder of Mega Furniture. His wife and 2 children live in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has pursued and received his MBA in Business and Marketing at Bombay University. Saleem’s aggression and vision has led him to the expansion of Mega Furniture. His ability to take risks with farsightedness has resulted in the exponential growth of Mega Furniture. Over the past 14 years, his ambitious and innovative approach has resulted in his success. Mega Furniture has 18 stores and 250 employees across Arizona and Texas and is the fastest growing furniture retailer in those states. Saleem is also the CEO of The Rush Fun Park, Phoenix Fitness and Mattress Guru. He is is excited and honored to be a part of this impressive program which focuses on education and being your best self.

tiffani strong smith

Tiffani Strong Smith was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She married her 8th grade sweetheart and later moved to Gilbert, Arizona with their two daughters. Tiffani has been an active volunteer in her community, serving in various school and youth organizations. While in Junior High, Tiffani began working as a collaborative pianist. She went on to accompany Junior High, High School, and Collegiate choirs, instrumentalists and vocalists and continues to do so today. After teaching piano in her home for many years, Tiffani opened a piano studio in Gilbert, and recently expanded her business into Phoenix. She is a firm believer that as we develop our talents we will undoubtedly learn some of life’s most valuable lessons. Hard work, perseverance, and self confidence are what she works to instill in her children and students everyday. “Little things make big things happen,” is a quote she likes to share repeatedly. While Tiffani has lots of “little things” to do each day, she most enjoys spending time with family and snuggling with her first little grandson, Jax.

scholastic judge

Karissa Brown is from Mesa, Arizona. She attended Mesa High School and graduated from Arizona State with a major in Health Sciences in 2012. For years, Karissa was the scholarship coordinator in the counseling department at Skyline High School, where she helped students apply for many different kinds of scholarships and submit transcripts for those scholarships. She has worked with children and youth all her life, and is a wife and mother of two.