On Dec. 6, a packed audience gathered in the Tower at STAR to celebrate the resilience and success of a remarkable cohort of University of Delaware students. After escaping Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, these 15 women — scholars in the Women’s Initiative in Service and Education (WISE) program — have found a new home at UD. Celebrating their extraordinary stories, the UD community in attendance was invited to renew their support for the WISE scholars.

After more than a year of intensive English education in UD’s English Language Institute (ELI), the WISE scholars have transitioned into their lives as UD students — choosing majors, cramming for finals and pursuing extracurricular activities. But their journey to this point has been anything but normal. 

In the summer of 2021, they were enrolled at the Asian University for Women, attending classes remotely from Afghanistan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As U.S. troops began to withdraw from the country and the Taliban advanced on Kabul, these students saw the writing on the wall: If the Taliban came to power, women would no longer be allowed to pursue higher education. In late August, as the Taliban entered the capital, the students decided to take a chance, boarding a bus that would circle the Kabul airport for four days amidst gunfire and bombing before finally being allowed to enter. The students then boarded one of the final U.S. military planes to leave Kabul.

The women eventually made their way to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, but behind the scenes, ELI Director Scott Stevens was devising a plan to help. Partnering with Vice Provost Matt Kinservik, Stevens found places for fifteen of the refugee-scholars within ELI, and in December 2021, the WISE program was born. 

Two years later, much has changed. Navigating a new language, culture and educational system, the WISE scholars have shown resilience at every turn. The cohort has expanded with the addition of an Iranian refugee student. As they transition into the general student body and progress toward graduation, the December event offered an opportunity to reflect on just how far they’ve come.

Joined by UD President Dennis Assanis, First Lady Eleni Assanis, Vice Provost Matt Kinservik, and a host of the committed faculty and staff who made this program possible, the WISE scholars received a warm Blue Hen welcome.  

Assanis opened the program by reaffirming UD’s steadfast commitment to the WISE scholars’ success, and Kinservik applauded the scholars as examples of a “visceral form of academic freedom.” But the true standouts in the program were the WISE scholars themselves. 

In a 45-minute panel discussion moderated by Amanda Bullough, professor of management in UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, two of these remarkable women, Brishna and Faiza, shared their stories in their own words:

“Thinking about not being able to pursue your education is really hard,” Brishna said. “It’s a ‘crime’ to be born a girl in Afghanistan.” But at UD, she has begun to envision a better future: “To make my dreams come true for the future of my country and girls back in Afghanistan, I’m really thankful.”

For Faiza, her choice to pursue a public policy major was determined by her desire to create a better future.

“I want to give back to women across the world, not just in Afghanistan,” she said.

The past two years haven’t been easy, and Faiza and Brishna’s stories drew more than a few tears. But their perseverance has also remained a source of hope. As new challenges have arisen — for instance, the WISE scholars receive full tuition scholarships, but the program relies on donations for housing and food support — the Blue Hen community has maintained steadfast support.

To close the evening, leading donor Jim Cox encouraged the audience to join his family in fueling the WISE scholars’ continued success. Reflecting on his family’s own history of immigrating to Delaware, he offered an important reminder: “We all came here from somewhere.”

Now, the UD community is working to redouble its commitment to the WISE scholars’ continued education and success. To learn more about how you can support these remarkable and resilient Blue Hens, please visit the UD Afghan Student Relief HenFunder page.