Ibtisam's siblings include six sisters and three brothers. Ibtisam is most proud of her family and hopes to make them happy by doing well in school. She feels most accomplished about being in school. Her favorite class is Geometry. In her free time, Ibtisam enjoys drawing and hiking. With her interest in drawing, Ibtisam hopes to be a fashion designer in the future.

Bashir Hassan Aden is a 15 year old from Abaarso, a small village located in Somaliland. This year, he’s entering the eighth grade at Abaarso School of Science and Technology. Bashir has four brothers and a sister. His mother works as a cleaner, and his father sells food. In his free time, he enjoys playing football. Although he did not speak much English when he arrived at the school, he did not feel overwhelmed. Instead, he was determined to become a better student. His favorite subject is science, and in the future, he wants to be a scientist. He hopes to continue his education, and to eventually help his family better their livelihood.

Bilan has six sisters and three brothers. Bilan is proud to be going to the Abaarso School and receiving a quality education. Although learning English is challenging for Bilan, English is one of her favorites classes. She also enjoys social studies, and in her free time likes to read novels and history books. By reading more and practicing English, Bilan hopes to improve her English. Beyond reading, Bilan also enjoys helping around our community whenever there are projects that she can work on. In the future, Bilan hopes to be a doctor.

Najma lives with her three sisters, five brothers, grandmother, grandfather, and mother. Her favorite subject in school is English. Najma enjoys learning new things and is glad to be learning English at school. To continue learning new things, Najma enjoys reading books about science in her free time. Other than reading, Najma also enjoys going over her class notes with her peers and helping each other to understand their class material. With Najma’s passion for learning and education, she hopes to be a teacher in the future.

Suhaib lives with his mother and four brothers. Suhaib is proud to be a member of our school community and learning new things he would not have learned elsewhere. His favorite classes are Algebra and Chemistry. With his interest in math and chemistry, Suhaib hopes to be a chemical engineer in the future. Outside of class, Suhaib enjoys reading non-fiction books, especially about history, and playing soccer. Suhaib feels it is important to be there for his family and to make them proud.

Hani is 12 years old, and beginning her first year at Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland. She hopes one day to go to America and continue her education, so she can be a doctor. She enjoys reading, playing games, and basketball. The best part about her first week was making new friends, and meeting her new teachers.

Fadumo lives with her mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, and six brothers. Fadumo is most proud of her family and wants to make them happy by doing well in school. She enjoys spending time with her family when not in school. At school, Fadumo’s favorite class is geometry. With her interest in geometry and math, Fadumo hopes to be an engineer in the future. Outside of class, Fadumo enjoys spending times with her friends who are all very supportive of each other. Her favorite books are The Book Thief, Things Fall Apart, and Malala.

Nimco has four brothers and lives with her mother. Her favorite subject is science. Outside of class, Nimco enjoys playing basketball. Nimco’s greatest accomplishment is earning a scholarship to attend our school. Proud of her achievement, Nimco enjoys studying for her classes, learning new things, and striving to be the best student possible. With a passion for science, Nimco hopes to be a scientist or engineer in the future.