Toran

Toran was looking out the window of his family’s apartment in war-ravaged Yemen when he saw an air missile hit the center of his city. “This began two years of moving from apartment to house, from city to our family village, and back again,” he wrote in his essay. “We traveled to save our lives.” 

As the conflict continued, the family traveled over the course of three years to Sudan, Djibouti, Egypt, Ireland and Ethiopia. They eventually resettled in New York City. He will never forget his homeland, he says, but “here I’m learning to live without pain.”

Toran says his long journey “without formal education and a social life had robbed me of skills, creativity and confidence.” What made matters worse was that his first year of high school was online due to the pandemic. But his teachers said Toran always rose to the task. 

“I can’t stress enough how amazed I am that Toran has been able to master a new language, receive strong grades in all of my history classes and aid in the success of his classmates,” his history teacher wrote. “When Toran sets his mind to something, he gets it done. He understands hard work more than most people.”

Toran is described as a leader and, as his college counselor said, a “thoughtful, empathetic individual who consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and a genuine concern for the wellbeing of his peers.” He has been the lead editor of the school newspaper, among other extracurricular activities, and played “a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community and inclusivity” in the school.

He says he is “now set for an exciting future in college, where I hope to study computer science.”

The counselor who made a huge impact on my life since I started high school in the United States is Ms. Jackie Pena. She is a college counselor and she opened new doors for me. Without her, I would never have known about Scholarship Plus or applied. Also, without her and her skills, I would not be willing to continue my education. All love and respect to her.