Back to School Season
By Nara Shin
Back to school season! Younger Thrive residents and program participants are going back to school for the 2023-2024 academic year. For some of them, it is their first day of attending American school. We want to celebrate them going to a school in America after waiting several months to six years.
Akbbaru is going to school as a seventh grader! He hopes to become a soccer player and is excited to play sports at a new school!
Abdul will start Kindergarten this September! He wants to become a basketball player or police officer because he loves playing basketball and driving fast in a police car.
Abbasi is a fourth-grader going to Logan Elementary School. He wants to study hard with his notebook presented by Thrive and become a police officer.
Dina (wearing a pink shirt with short hair) is from Ukraine. She is going to school as a fourth-grader this fall. She is new here, so she doesn’t know a lot of people in a new town. She said she wants to make friends at school and build connections! She wants to be a manicurist in the future.
Ayman and Yasir are going to Farris High School as ninth graders. They are from Syria and hoping to become police officers to catch people who harm others and help people who are in need. They are excited to learn English and have longer conversations with English-speakers and play sports at school.
Raneem (standing on the left with glasses) is a Syrian girl who flew from Jordan to Spokane, WA. She waited six years to come to America, and now she is excited to attend school and start a new life in Spokane! She said, “I’m so happy because I couldn’t study in Jordan because I am Syrian. I am very happy to start school.” Raneem hopes to become an interpreter for people who don’t speak English but need help with any assistance.
Malek (standing on the right with a cap) is going to Farris High School as a ninth grader. He is also from Syria after several years of stay in Jordan before coming to Spokane. He said through a translator, “I am enthusiastic to learn, and I am happy to go to school because American education is better than what I have received.” Malek wants to be a Cardiothoracic surgeon because he saw a lot of cardiothoracic needs among people and wants to save their lives.
Behind the label of refugee, young individuals are passionate students ready to start new schools with numerous hopes and dreams. We are happy to be part of their life journeys, offer support, and welcome as they enter into their new classrooms.
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