The Afghan Scholars Initiative

The very first thought about going to college in the United States came to me in a biology lab at Esteqlal High School in Kabul, where a bunch of other high school kids and I were getting ready to take the A.S.I’s first scholarship exam. In front of the classroom, Qiamuddin Amiry, A.S.I’s co-founder, was talking to us about the two scholarships at Gould Academy while showing us the location of Gould on the weird looking map of the United States he had drawn earlier. When Qiam mentioned that the scholarships were for only two years of high school, this crucial question, whose answer I found out a few weeks ago, had been floating in my mind quite frequently: “Would I be able to go to college in the United States?” As a receiver of one of the scholarships, I made my life’s hardest decision. I decided to come to Gould knowing that I might not succeed to get into a U.S. college. Then the journey of my college search started with hesitations and decisiveness, excitement and nervousness, and opportunities and risks.
I began my research about the process of going to a U.S. college as soon as I got to Gould. I started asking my friends about the complicated process of college admissions. For instance, I contacted Khabir Sallah, my friend’s cousin, who had gotten into St. Lawrence University a year earlier. I always made sure I never missed any college counseling meeting thinking of them as the most important steps of my future. The more I learned about college admissions, the more complicated the situation seemed.
Knowing that everything (from approaching a college tour guide to standardized test scores) mattered in the college selection process, I started drafting a list of colleges I wanted to apply to. An important and intimidating factor about my college decision was the full financial aid or scholarship I needed. Making this list took me over a year because I would find dozens of colleges that would “fit me,” but I would probably not get full financial assistance. This idea of “a college that fits you” made little sense to me until I visited Williams College in October last year.
In the early fall of last year, I received an email from college counseling saying that Williams had a program called Windows on Williams and that if I was interested in taking part. I did not reply until I researched its website a little in depth. I learned about Williams study abroad program with Oxford University and its Oxford style tutorial. I also found out that Williams had a master’s program called Center for Developing Economics which is designed to help people from poor countries to become effective economic policy-makers in developing their countries. Williams seemed to me different from other small liberal arts colleges. However, I did not consider applying to Williams until after I went on this program.
During my two day visit, I encountered a lot of facts that made me take Williams very seriously. What impressed me was not what the college had already planned for us but what I found out myself by talking to students, professors and checking out the general environment. I met Abdullah Awad, a Jordanian freshman at Williams, who really made a big impression on me. Initially I had a host for my visit, but as soon as I got to know Abdullah, he offered me his room in which he, his roommate, and I would talk about a Williams experience, from academics to pastime activities.
Now I am relieved of the pressure I had felt before my acceptance to Williams College, my first choice school. This was one of the major steps to my dreams of the future. I am sure that Williams will be a place that will challenge me in ways that will boost my understanding of the world. In return, I hope that I will add something to the Williams community. The pride and honor of this achievement goes to my dear family in Afghanistan, to my teachers, to the A.S.I., and to all those who have helped me with the process. Congratulations everybody!

Entry By: Sikandar Ahmadi

If I want to write about my experience in the United States, what to write about? There is not one thing specifically to write about. My life, education, school, weather—in short everything has changed. I experienced everything new from my room up to my classes in School. I still see things that I never saw before. When I see my classes, school, and other new things I remember my past and my school in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan some days we didn’t have something to sit and study. If we had blackboard we didn’t have chalk and if we had chalk we didn’t have blackboard and so on. On that time I didn’t thought of this opportunity to have TVs and projectors in every class to see every lesson in real life. I feel lucky that I am here and having the best education along with other students from all over the world.

First I met diverse students from different countries, for instance students from China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Iraq, Lebanon, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Australia, and many other countries. I experienced diverse community from all over the world. This experience taught me more about the culture, people, and languages of the other countries. At least now I know one word from each language. Asking about the culture, language, and about a student from different countries makes me think about the people of the world. The community that I am studying with is not just the United States but also the entire world.

I have the opportunity to research, write, and participate in my interested subjects at OES. I have the possibilities, equipment, and the teachers to help me do that—not only in academics but also in activities where I never had the chance to show my talents. The school teaches me how to use my thoughts and my ability in both academics and activities.

One of my experiences was playing soccer in my school in fall. Which I called it football in Afghanistan. However, I couldn’t go to the soccer camp in the summer but I started to play in one of our school team. I really enjoyed it because in Afghanistan I played soccer with my friends on dirt and dust but in here I played on the grass. I am very happy that along with my studies at OES, I get sports training as well.

I am totally experiencing a new and different life in the United States. I have the opportunity of studying, creating, and thinking. I am very glad of having this chance to explore my ideas and thoughts. I want to use this opportunity to get a good education. This is the opportunity for me to make opportunities for millions of kids in Afghanistan. Who doesn’t have the basic education or don’t have a place where they could study.

My first day at Hotchkiss School

When I left home for USA, I was a bit nervous about leaving home for the first time, going to a new environment, meeting new people and experiencing a new and totally different culture, but after coming to Hotchkiss, I found the people very friendly and well behaved, which gave me the sense of being at home. At the beginning of school, I had some difficulties with socializing and food especially when I looked at the students who only used vegetables for their dinner or lunch, I was surprised because I never used vegetables alone for dinner or lunch. One other interesting moment I experienced during my first days of school was the contra dance. All the students gathered in basketball field to perform the dance, so I went with them too. I was the only one standing outside the dance platform, because it was very new for me; not only contra dance but I did not have any past experience in any kind of dances. One of my friends asked me to join the dance with him, Finally I was made to join the dance, which was quite interesting in performing the dance.

Celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr in honor of Muslim students

It was the finishing days of Ramadan, and I was thinking of the coming Eid festival and the moments I used to spend with my family, relatives and friends during Eid. I did not think of that sort of celebration in Hotchkiss before, the international programs coordinator Mr. David Thompson suggested we celebrate Eid. In the morning of that day, we five Muslim students were taken to the mosque for performing Eid Namaz, and after that we went to a traditional party for celebrating Eid with some other Muslim communities.

That evening we celebrated Eid with all the other students within a party during dinner; we had a special dining hall Menu consisting of some Muslim traditional foods; we played some Afghan, Arabic and Indian songs, and we had some people dressed in eastern cloths.

In order to make the festival more interesting, one of us suggested performing a Palestinian dance. During that dance I was feeling much happier; because we had some of our faculty members take part in that dance. I am very grateful to be at Hotchkiss, because beside academic and extracurricular facilities it also provides the opportunity to introduce our culture and tradition while also learning about others‘culture.

If I could tell about one of my most amazing extracurricular activities at Gould Academy, it would be skiing. Before meeting Juliana Montgomery who made the A.S.I. documentary in Afghanistan, I never thought I would be able to see other people skiing-let alone myself doing it. When I met Juliana in Kabul, she asked me if I wanted to ski at Gould. For a moment, I was at an awe of hearing about such an opportunity. Ever since that day, I became so thrilled about skiing that I would pay for internet café to watch skiing videos on Youtube. However, having never skied before, I was unsure if I would be able to learn.  When I shared my excitement with my mom, she used to tell me not to try “crazy stuff” because who would take care of me if I broke a bone. I totally understood her concerns, but I also wanted to take my chances and benefit from this opportunity.

During the registration day at Gould last September, I was given a long list of sports to choose from. I did not know most of those sports, but I made sure I chose skiing and soccer. I was equally excited for soccer as I was for skiing. For the first time, I was going to play soccer on the grass unlike in Afghanistan where I played on the dirt. After a few days of playing soccer at Gould, I discovered that I was not going to be able to continue due to an old back injury. It was a huge disappointment. I had just started to make friends on my soccer team. Not only I missed soccer but I also became hesitant about my ability to ski. I passed the fall with one leg in my classes the other in different doctors’ offices to fix my back. Although none of the treatments were helpful, I decided to ski.

My first day on the mountain at the Sunday River is an unforgettable experience. In the beginning I was nervous because I thought I would be the only beginner. However, when I saw a couple of other kids in my situation, I became a little relieved. We went on a flat spot for the first few days with a special trainer who taught us how to make turns, stop, speed up or slow down. I remember when I first got on my skies I could not stand unlike other beginners. I held on to my partner and listened to the coach as he explained the techniques. After the coach’s demonstration, everyone took turn to do the same thing. Although some kids laughed at each other, but my turns would make the whole team laugh because my upper body was turning west while my legs were going east. I fell, struggled and tolerated the chuckle of my friends and finally learnt to ski.

Despite falls and injuries, I kept trying and improving. Within three months, I went from learning how to properly stand on my skies to making 180 turns and doing jumps. I started on the flat spot where I could barely stop myself once I kept going to doing black diamond trails. In the beginning I was not allowed to ski with Ski & Ride, the basic and easiest team, but by the end of the season I improved so much that my coaches wanted me to compete this year. In addition, skiing became one of my most favorite sports after soccer.

I am very lucky to be at Gould Academy. I have had lots of opportunities to explore both in academic areas and in extracurricular activities. After I learnt and enjoyed skiing, I decided to try new sports. I knew that stepping outside my comfort zone could be risky and challenging but it could also be very fun. That is why I decided to try more sports from my list that were completely unknown to me. I played baseball last spring, and I am snowboarding now.

In August the Afghan Scholars Initiative finalized the process of incorporating as a 501 c 3, non-profit organization. Co-founder Lesley Nesbitt said, “This is a major milestone for the Afghan Scholars Initiative. With tax-exempt status those who have expressed interest in supporting our students can now also benefit from a tax deduction whenever they contribute. In order to support our current and future scholars through two years of boarding school and four years of college we will rely heavily on the donations of individuals. There is a direct correlation between our ability to raise funds, and the number of deserving Afghan students who will receive a first-rate education in U.S. schools.”

Because ASI commits to a six-year educational investment in each of its scholars, the support of participating institutions and individuals is vital. Since its inception ASI has relied heavily on participating boarding schools and their trustees to provide ASI students with room, board, and tuition. As ASI grows, one of the primary goals is to provide each scholar with supplementary financial support for travel costs, extra-curricular expenses, clothing, and school supplies.

With the first ASI scholars set to matriculate to U.S. colleges in 2011 we anticipate needing to raise additional funds to help defray the cost of each students’ four-year college tuition.

As ASI continues to grow we aspire to a time when we can select high school juniors each year with the knowledge that we have endowed funds to support them through a combined six years of high school and college education in the U.S. If ever there was a time to help ensure the long-term viability of these educational opportunities for Afghan students, that time is now.

Ways to get involved:

http://www.afghanscholars.org/pages/help/involved.html

Welcome to our soon-to-be-updated blog.  As part of our website redesign, this blog will feature regularly updated content on ASI, our staff happenings, partner institutions, student achievemnts and more.  Please, stay tuned for more exciting updates and while you’re at it, check out our newly updated website created by the indespensible Audrey at Firebox Media.

In late August the first two students supported by the Afghan Scholars Initiative began their senior year at Gould Academy. Their first year in the U.S. was marked by the challenges of academic, cultural, and emotional adjustments. In every respect, Sikander and Meetra proved themselves equal to the task. Both students finished the year with new friends, increased confidence and skills to achieve their goals, and a stronger academic foundation for their senior year and beyond. Their achievements are the manifestation of our mission, and we at ASI hope their story will inspire your continued support for Meetra, Sikander, and those who will follow in their footsteps.

Meetra

Preparing for college at a boarding school in the U.S. is one of the last things Meetra might have imagined about her future when at the age of six her family fled Taliban rule and became refugees in Pakistan. For their first two years in Pakistan there was no time for school as Meetra and her parents struggled with the financial and social disadvantages of being refugees in a foreign land. Meetra worked each day, helping her family to make their way under extremely difficult circumstances. When Meetra and her family returned to Kabul in 2003 they found that their house had been destroyed. Just as they had in Pakistan, they began rebuilding their lives.

Meetra returned to school, but saw that not all Afghans her age were so lucky. She recalls seeing the impact of Taliban rule on her fellow Afghans, “Every day when I walked to my school, I witnessed an Afghan girl my age sitting in a corner of the street, begging for money and being teased by boys. Many kids, who were supposed to be experiencing their childhood, or be at school depending on their age, were working for a really low salary to support their families.” Meetra completed the 7th through 12th grades at her high school in Kabul, working as a volunteer tutor for students struggling with math and English. In 2007 she sat for the Afghan Scholars Initiative exam and was selected as one of the first two scholars out of a pool of 75 individuals hoping for the same opportunity.

During her first year in an English-only learning environment Meetra made the honor roll and was elected to the National Honor Society by the faculty. She rose to the challenge of a seven-day winter camping trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, received the “most improved” award on the equestrian team, volunteered at a local childcare center, spoke at multicultural days at local high schools, and received a scholarship to the Haystack Art Center Workshop. This summer she lived in Massachussetts with former Gould Academy parent and trustee Dr. Sue Long, during which time she has begun touring colleges, preparing for the TOEFL and SAT and attending a conference for college and secondary school admissions officers at the Hotchkiss School where she shared her experiences transitioning to school in the U.S.

In August, Meetra shadowed an administrator at the UN, where she learned, among other things, about the power dynamics that influence aid to refugees and struggling nations. A valuable lesson was learned, when Meetra saw firsthand that politics are inextricably tied to the decisions of organizations like UNICEF and UNHCR. In a recent email, Meetra reflected on her experience at the UN. “I hated politics before, but now I see how important it is. I think the best way to beat a politician is political tactics.”

Sikander

“From time to time when I picture my past and see where I am now, gives me a hope for a much brighter future. The goal that motivates me to make the best use of this opportunity is to bring a brighter future not only to myself or to my family, but also to my people. I feel a great responsibility for my nation.” – Sikander

Like many other Afghans his age, Sikander has overcome obstacles that most of his classmates in the U.S. can only imagine. A member of the Hazara ethnicity, Sikander suffered from discrimination and a lack of opportunity throughout his life in Afghanistan. He experienced gaps in his education when his family’s struggle for survival in Afghanistan, and later as refugees in Pakistan, left no time for school. This deprivation and oppression paired with a sharp and curious intellect, evolved into an unstoppable drive in this young man that he manifests in his every pursuit. If this sounds like hyperbole, just review the recognitions he received at the end of his first nine months of school in the U.S: a GPA that qualified for high honors and a place in the National Honor Society; three book awards for earning the highest GPA in History, Mathematics, and French; the Dartmouth book award for character, contribution to the school, and academic promise; selection to Phi Beta Kappa; and being elected by his peers as a student proctor for the 2009-2010 school year. But perhaps Sikander sums it up best in his own words, “Having lived a life in which hope for the future was very rare to embrace, I have experienced a completely different life in America.”

Sikander’s achievements in his first year of school in the U.S. would be cause for celebration for a student of any background. However, his accomplishments this year stretch beyond the academic. Sikander is becoming a leader in the Gould community by reaching out to his peers and educating the community about life in Afghanistan. Informal conversations with his peers about Afghanistan inspired Sikander to give cultural presentations during school assemblies and through the international club at Gould. At the end of his first year at Gould Sikander was elected by his peers to be a student proctor during his senior year, a position in which he will mentor fellow students and take part in the formal student leadership at his school.

Sikander spent the majority of his summer at Georgetown University, where he received a partial scholarship to enroll in the program “Fundamentals of Business: Leadership in a Global Economy.” He also attended a conference for college and secondary school admissions officers/ counselors titled “Transition in a changing landscape,” where he spoke on a panel about the experience of attending school in the U.S. as an ESL student from a developing country. With his senior year set to begin, Sikander continues to study for the TOEFL and SAT and he has already begun the college search and application process as he prepares to fulfill his goal of attending a U.S. college or university.