Hasan

When he started ninth grade, Hasan had lived in this country for less than a year and was still learning English. 

“He spent a year in Djibouti before arriving in the United States,” one of his teachers wrote. “His only access to English was via the television show ‘Tom and Jerry.’” But “one could sense he would be at the top of his class. He is now the class valedictorian.” 

Hasan is from Yemen, a nation upended by war and a humanitarian crisis. Regarding his academic success, he says, “When I was a child, I was like any curious child who loved to explore anything and everything. As I grew older, the flame of my curiosity did not stop, but rather became stronger and brighter. I do not want to remain ignorant for the rest of my life, so I am not afraid to ask when I do not know.”

His college advisor says that his character “is defined by qualities such as resilience, integrity and a strong sense of responsibility.”

Those qualities were on display some years ago when staff from the World Food Program arrived near Hasan’s Yemeni village to distribute food and other aid. He climbed onto the truck to help. “During the distribution I saw joy in the eyes of those I used to see depressed,” he wrote in his essay. “Happiness is not dead but buried under worries. I was thinking to myself that if this action brings joy to those who lost their family, loved ones and body parts, this means that there is always hope. Amidst the destruction, war, and death, hope still shines, a light we missed.”

Hasan wants to pursue a career in the medical field.

The teacher that has made the greatest difference in my life is Ms. Hamilton, my English teacher.  She has been teaching and supporting me since ninth grade. Anytime I needed assistance, I found her. I offer her my sincere respect, thanks and appreciation.