One-time refugee, now the first valedictorian of her Afghanistan high school, begins classes as University of Richmond freshman
August 21, 2007
Wadia Samadi was two years old in 1991 when a civil war broke out in Kabul, Afghanistan. The sky rained rocket-propelled grenades as her large, extended family attempted to flee the country.
"It was just by luck that anyone made it out without getting killed," she says.
The first valedictorian of the International School of Kabul, Samadi is the third student to enroll at University of Richmond through the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. IEAW is a national program giving Afghan women the opportunity to pursue higher education in the United States. Samadi graduated high school last May with a 3.99 grade point average.
Beginning with primary school in a refugee camp tent in Pakistan through several relocations during middle and high school, she says her father emphasized the importance of education in creating a better life. As a sixth-grader, she surpassed the requirements to advance to the next grade. But Samadi repeated the grade to gain a better grasp of English and Urdu, the native language of Pakistan.
In 2002, Samadi and her family returned to Kabul.
"Before [the war], my parents said Kabul was like an American city," she says. "When we came back, the TV news said the Taliban was gone, but it still wasn't safe--the city was very quiet with fear."
As her family recovered from the financial hardships of refugee life, Samadi's father borrowed money to pay tuition for her ninth grade year at a private American school. In 10th grade, she transferred to Kabul International Academy (later named the International School of Kabul). The next three years, she attended school with a suppressed, lingering fear of the Taliban because Americans attend the school and the curriculum educates high school girls, making them a target if ever discovered by extremists.
"They are known for burning schools and books," she says. "Parents learn about our school through word of mouth because we don't want to publicize."
Gail Goolsby, Samadi's principal and counselor, says the traditional culture of women marrying and staying at home to raise children remains prevalent in Afghanistan. Young women, such as Samadi, must have the right kind of support in order to successfully get an education.
"Her family, especially her dad, is most supportive of the children--including his daughters--completing as much education as they can," Goolsby says. "Wadia is a dedicated student, full of determination and academically strong in her foundation for college."
When Samadi was a rising senior, Goolsby and her teachers recognized her potential and encouraged her to apply to American colleges and universities. A solid academic program and a relative living only a few hours away made University of Richmond a perfect fit, she says.
Samadi plans to earn a bachelor's degree in business, but remains undecided about a specialty. As a student in the IEAW program, she is required to return to Afghanistan after completing her undergraduate studies.