Twelve Borders to Freedom

I was born in Afghanistan, a county where being a woman is never safe, where danger can exist in every moment of life. In my country, many women do not even have the right to study and my biggest dream in life was education.

Fear was part of everyday life. Fear of speaking. Fear of studying. Fear of dreaming.

From childhood, for girls, there was no real safety, no real freedom and no future to choose.

In 2022, I did not just leave my home, I escaped my fear with my family.

To reach safety, we crossed twelve international borders, many of them on foot. There were many days without food. Cold nights without a safe place to sleep. Fear followed every step. Every night felt uncertain. My body was tired. My heart was even more tired.

But we kept going, because the desire to freedom was stronger than fear.

When I finally reached the United States for the first time in my life, I felt safe.

But I arrived with nothing.

No English, no money, no confidence. Even simple things felt impossible.

Schools, stores, hospitals, everything felt confusing.

Many days I felt invisible, like I did not belong anywhere.

But one thing slowly began to change my life: Education.

Learning English became by first battle in America. I studied every day. I watched videos, I practiced with classmates. I wrote new words again and again in my notebooks.

Slowly language opened doors that were once locked.

I could speak to teachers, make friends and understand the world around me.

What once felt impossible slowly became possible.

Then, I came to Santa Ana College. This college did not just give me classes, it gave me a place to be seen.

It gave me a place to speak. Here, people did not only see my accent, they saw my effort.

They did not only see my past, they saw my future.

And one person changed my life in a very deep way, my teacher, Professor Mowrer.

She is a strong woman who encouraged me, believed in me, and helped me find my voice.

Today, I balance my studies with a job.

I work, I study. Life is still not easy. I am still healing.

But now I move forward with pride, strength and hope.

My journey is not about escaping danger, it's about discovering who I am.

It's about creating a future filled with possibility.

And my message to anyone watching this is simple, no matter how hard your past is, no matter how silent you once were, your voice matters.

If I could cross twelve international borders and start again from zero, then you can continue, too.