MAH BEGUM
I am the girl from the cliffs of the mountains, whose world is always as high and steady as the mountains that were in my village. The mountains are steadfast and nobody can move them. I told the mountains that I'm not able to move you, but I can easily climb up at your highest point. I feel like I'm racing towards the top today.
I considered life as risky before coming to America to enjoy pleasure. Life is not free of problems, and the problems are time-consuming, but there is hope for solving the problem. Today, I enjoy my life and I am happy because my world is no longer that small village. My world grows bigger and bigger every day. I remember when I was 12 years old. My brother came from Kabul to spend his summer vacation with us, and he had a computer with him. He showed me a video clip from Marefat High School in Kabul. When we turned off the computer, I left the room and sat in a corner crying and wishing I could join the same school someday. After crying, I laughed at myself and said, "What a joke!" but today, Harvard University is my aim and I believe it is a possibility.
For me, this scholarship program has provided an open gate for me to enter and face new challenges and opportunities. It has also provided for personal and academic growth and skill development so that I may face the growing threats and instabilities in my country. The scholarship program has changed my world perspective, and with the help of people supporting this program, it is now possible to have such lofty goals.