For a large swath of American students, the Sunday before the first day of school amounts to a pity party.
But as she milled about Wayne Murphy’s Stafford County residence last weekend dressed in a gray Los Angeles sweatshirt and blue jeans, Najia Akhzarati was in a decidedly celebratory mood.
The next day, Akhzarati, 14, would start her sophomore year at St. Margaret’s, an Episcopal boarding school in Tappahannock. Her back-to-school journey, however, began nearly 7,000 miles away when the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan and shuttered the country’s all-girls schools.
“I spent three years as a prisoner in my home,” she said, referring to her daily life in Kabul following the repressive regime’s return in 2021.
The story of how she ultimately achieved academic freedom involves the nonprofit organization Educate Girls Now (EGN), the Rappahannock Rotary Club — and — a not-insignificant bit of luck.
A gifted student, Akhzarati was referred to EGN and worked with the organization for a year to obtain her eighth-grade certificate, explained Nargis Zadran, an Afghan educator-turned-refugee and Stafford resident who currently serves as the organization’s director of education programs.
Akhzarati applied to St. Margaret’s herself and received 86 percent financial aid in the form of a scholarship, Zadran said.
“When I got letters from the school, I was very happy,” she said. “But I still wasn’t sure, because they said it was a long process.”
Meanwhile, EGN and Rotarians engaged in a parallel effort to raise the remaining funds needed to cover four years of tuition at St. Margaret’s.
“We had such a warm welcome by rotary members and the community, which gave us the confidence to finance for four years,” said Zadran, “and we will continue to do that if there is a need.”
Among the most nerve-wracking steps for Akhzarati was an interview in Pakistan with an officer from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to obtaining her student visa. She rehearsed everything — her background, destination and purpose — with volunteers from the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund (AGFAF).
“I was very nervous. My hands were shaking,” Akhzarati said. “The interviewer was a girl, asked questions about me, where am I going and what I will do there.”
When she learned that her visa had been approved, “That was the best day of my life,” she said.
Since arriving in the United States two weeks ago, Akhzarati has stayed with Zadran and her family in Stafford. They’ll also serve as her host family during breaks in the school year.
“It could’ve been a culture shock for her coming from Afghanistan,” Zadran said. “But at least being with us, an Afghan family, we speak the language (Dari), we understand the culture and everything—and the Afghan household environment.”
The spread at a back-to-school tea party for Najia Akhzarati included several dishes from her home country of Afghanistan. (Photo by Joey LoMonaco)
As she spoke, Akhzarati and Zadran’s 14-year-old daughter Ava giggled from across a kitchen island covered with familiar dishes like bolani (stuffed bread), pakawra (fritters) and chicken kebab. The two teens, both from Kabul and who both speak Dari, have become fast friends who watch anime and read together.
Still, there have been structural differences that take a little getting used to.
“Like the shape of the house, they are different in our country,” said Akhzarati. “In Afghanistan, of course, the houses are different.”
The biggest and most emotional adjustment for Akhzarati has been living away from her mother and sister, who remain in Afghanistan.
“Of course, they really miss me and I really miss them,” she said, adding that they talk daily through WhatsApp. “They’re happy that I’m finally here.”
The party on that Sunday afternoon was winding down, and Akhzarati — the guest of honor — wanted to say a few words.
She spoke about the days she longed to put on her school uniform and backpack, about how much she’d missed painting and playing soccer.
But mostly, she wanted to toast: to the improbable promise of the school year awaiting her.
“I would not be here without you,” she said.
