Student Profiles: Ayend
“I woke up to the smell of fried oil to make the brown falafel tablets, the smell of fresh and delicious oven bread, and the voice of the vegetable seller, calling out the names of vegetables one after the other. My happiness lies in seeing the waves of the children standing in the front of the door on the morning of Eid, and in their small hands are their bags filled with Eid candies; and my sadness is when i see them walking barefoot on a pared road for the first time in their town. I am from a place full of the smell of blossoms of orange and lemon trees, and from the touches of my mother to those flowers when the fruits are formed. From my mother’s love to keep everything that belongs to me at a young age in a bag full of my school certificates.”
Seven years into enduring persistent violence outside their home in Qamshlo, Syria, Ayend and his family fled. The group trekked over 300 miles across narrow mountain ranges and through scorching hot temperatures. They eventually found a new home in Arabat Camp, where the family could begin to mold better lives for themselves.
At 15 years old, Ayend has the same hobbies as most teenage boys: gaming, reading, and watching his favorite shows. He is obsessed with Anime and hopes to travel to Japan at least once to experience the culture that influences the shows. He has added shows like "Breaking Bad" to his television repertoire and uses the English-speaking characters to practice his conversational English and American accent. He devours science fiction novels (even though books are hard to come by in the camp), sometimes utilizing his knowledge of the genre to influence storytelling projects for his Hello Future courses.
As a new student in 2019, Ayend’s creative, thoughtful demeanor immediately brought joy to the classroom. His natural intellect shined through in many ways. A natural leader, his team looked to him through their Design Thinking Challenges. His team proposed an AI-based learning assistant as a solution for one of our International Hack-a-thon challenges. It is not hard to see if, given the resources and right environment, Ayend could be part of the A.I. innovation that's to come. His potential and smarts are never the issues.
We are excited to share that Ayend will begin college in India. He received a full scholarship from the United World College.
Through his Hello Future course, Ayend’s perception of the Internet shifted from entertainment only to a resource. He credits his college acceptance to Hello Future. He said it was our course that shifted his perspective and sent him searching for opportunities. He used his storytelling skills and inherent creativity to write application essays that conveyed his intellect. Our lead instructor, Mohammed, fluent in English, was able to proofread Ayend’s essays and write him a letter of recommendation. It is nearly impossible for refugees teens to wade through the complexity of college admissions without the support of adults experienced in the admission process, fluent in English. More often than not, that support we take for granted here in the U.S. is near impossible to find in a refugee camp.
A number of obstacles block refugees from attending college and these begin at the application process. To apply to college, students must understand how to navigate the internet, submit their application materials and have completed relevant tests. The forms and financial responsibilities are often in English which can be an obstacle in itself. Most universities require a letter of recommendation in English, which requires a teacher in the area to speak English and understand what is required in a letter of recommendation. All the minutiae of applying to schools and opportunities might sound trivial to those of us in the U.S. but it can pose as nearly insurmountable hurdles for others, especially when you are a teen living in a refugee camp. While Hello Future’s primary goal is providing essential training to prepare the refugee youth for a 21st-Century economy, our instructors also help support students like Ayend in moments like these.
When Ayend entered our course, he lacked confidence in what his future could be. His pathway forward seemed to mimic that of those around him and he feared living the rest of his life without ever experiencing the world outside the camp. Throughout his time at Hello Future, Ayend began to develop a strong sense of self. He became comfortable speaking English in front of people, even though he was fluent in English from a young age. Our classroom became a safe place for Ayend to ask questions, explore new ideas, and grow as a young person. He is leaving the program with a clear pathway forward and hope for his future.