The Afghan Scholars Initiative

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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.