Occupation: Student

Country of Birth: Afghanistan

Current: Minneapolis, MN

“Last year I spent all of my time at home. But this year it is different and I go out a lot. I go to the nearby lake Bde Maka Ska. […] When I am sad and want to go out for fresh air, I go to the lake.”

Adina lived in Kabul’s neighborhood called Kart–e–Char in Afghanistan. Her life in Afghanistan was good, even if there was a war on and off. She went to school and spent time with her relatives whose homes she would visit often.

Adina remembers her last day at school in Afghanistan. It was hard when she met with her classmates because they knew they would not see each other again. 

Americans helped her and her family on the day they had to leave the country. They called Adina’s father every day to make sure they were packed and ready. 

On her last night in Afghanistan, Adina and her siblings sat together and talked about what they would do once they arrived in the US, what the US would be like, and about the journey to get there. They all wondered how their lives were about to change forever. 

After navigating camps in Qatar and New Jersey, Adina and her family began their new life here in Minnesota.

Since she started attending high school, Adina has made many friends and likes her new life in  Minnesota. She likes Minnesota because it has many lakes. When she walks around the lake, Adina feels calm. She goes to the lake when she’s sad and needs fresh air.

In the future, Adina wants to improve her English and to speak it fluently. Finally, she has a message for those who are currently in power in Afghanistan: “Let all the girls in Afghanistan go to school!”