Rutgers Global Celebrates Graduating Students from Afghanistan and Gaza
On May 18, Rutgers Global hosted a graduation ceremony for a special group of 10 displaced students—7 students from Afghanistan and 3 students from Gaza—who completed an exceptionally challenging journey to obtain their degrees from Rutgers University. As Vice President for Global Affairs Rick Garfunkel noted in his opening remarks, “The strength and resilience needed to reach this achievement is nothing short of astounding. And this is why we are gathered together today—to honor this journey.”
In addition to celebrating the students, the event offered an opportunity to thank the many people who came together with the common mission of supporting these students and helping them achieve their goals. At Rutgers, the leadership of the university president and board was crucial, as were the contributions of our many trusted campus partners, including the chancellors, provosts, academic deans, and deans of students, as well as advisors, registrars, faculty and staff from Dining Services, Residence Life, and Student Accounting. Anu Gupta, Assistant Dean of Global Academic Programs, who worked directly with these students, noted to the group: “All of you worked behind the scenes to ensure that our students were as supported as possible.”
In addition, Dr. Garfunkel thanked our external partners, including the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the Afghan Future Fund (AFF). IIE is an organization that actively supports Afghan students and scholars through emergency scholarships, safe haven placements, and online education initiatives like the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP) and the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund. “My understanding is that more than 400 Afghan students have been placed at global universities through QSAP,” said Dr. Garfunkel. The AFF was initiated by the Yalda Hakim Foundation and a range of partners in 2021. Jonah Kokodyniak, Executive Vice President of IIE, and Nadima Sahar, the Managing Director of the AFF, both joined the ceremony and offered remarks to the students.
Each of the students spoke briefly about their experiences, which was very moving. The featured student speaker was Farzana Jafari, from Afghanistan, who gave a powerful presentation, an excerpt of which is featured below.
“This was an intimate and important event celebrating the courage and resiliency of this wonderful group of students,” said Gupta. “Each of these students has made a difference, and will continue to soar.”
Remarks by Farzana Jafari
“Today, I stand before you not only as a graduate of Rutgers University, not only as a student graduating with honors and a double major, but as an Afghan girl carrying a story much bigger than herself.
A story of sacrifice.
A story of survival.
A story of women who continue to rise, even when the world tries to force them to disappear.
As we celebrate here today, there are girls in Afghanistan whose schools and universities remain closed. Girls who wake up every morning with dreams in their hearts but barriers in front of them. Girls who are being told that their voices are too dangerous, their ambitions too powerful, and their education too unnecessary.
The girls whose dreams were not broken by failure but taken by force.
The girls in Afghanistan who are still waiting for a future that keeps being denied to them.
***
The day I left Afghanistan, I carried a heavy heart. I was leaving my home, my family, everything familiar, stepping into a future where I would have to stand on my own, far away from the people I love.
But I did not walk this path alone.
To my family and friends who stood beside me through every challenge, every tear, every homesick night, every moment of doubt, thank you.
To Rutgers Global, my advisors, faculty members, dining staff, housing staff, peers, and every person who made Rutgers feel like home when I was thousands of miles away from mine, thank you for seeing me, supporting me, and helping me grow.
To Institute of International Education-QSAP and Afghan Future Fund, thank you for investing in Afghan students and believing that our futures matter.
You did not just support our education.
You protected our hope.
I also want to give special thanks to my sister, who is here today.
None of this would have happened without her.
She spoke up for me.
She defended me.
She believed in me before the world ever saw my potential.
She is my role model.
And because of her courage, I found my own.
And despite every challenge, every distance, every moment of doubt, I am still standing here.
And I will stay standing.
Because this moment is bigger than me.
I came here not just to study, but to become a voice.
A voice for the millions of girls who are still being silenced.
A voice for the girl who has to hide who she is just to survive.
A voice for those who are still waiting for their chance.
Today, I graduate with honors.
Tomorrow, I continue toward my master’s degree.
And after that, my journey will continue even further.
Because my dreams no longer scare me, they motivate me.
I know now that there is no limit to what a woman can become when she is given a chance.
So I will continue rising.
I will continue speaking.
I will continue making space for women whose voices have been silenced.
And one day, I hope to stand in a position where I can open doors for countless other girls to walk through after me.
Not because I was the strongest.
But because I refused to give up.
Tonight, this degree is not only mine.
It belongs to my parents.
My sister.
My friends.
My community.
And every Afghan girl who still believes in education even when the world tries to take it away from her.
This is for every girl who was told “no” but still dared to dream.
And to those girls, I want to say:
Do not let the world convince you that your dreams are too big simply because you are a woman.
Dream bigger.
Because one educated woman can change a family.
Thousands of educated women can change a nation.
And millions of women refusing to give up can change the world.”
