How my life changed

Today I want to talk about my older brother . My oldest brother Moa was a field translator for the Marines in Afghanistan because he wanted to help and support the U.S troops. When he was working with the military, the Taliban couldn't target him, so they targeted us. During this time, my dad went missing for two weeks; finally, my mother came home crying and told us that his body had been found in the river. He had been brutally beaten and shot to death by the Taliban. A few days later, they kidnapped my youngest brother. They said that if we didn't pay them money, then my little brother’s grave would be next to my father’s. So my older brother paid them money and a few days later, we left the country because we never knew what they were going to do to us next. We moved to Pakistan and hid there. We couldn't go to school or even go outside, which made it so difficult and stressful for us to live there. Because of what was happening to us, we couldn’t get our education either in Afghanistan or Pakistan. We were all scared to go outside or to visit our family members. My brothers couldn't go outside to play with their friends. It was like living in a jail cell. There was nothing to study, nothing to play, and no connection to our relatives. Life was like hell for us. It took me a lot of time to overcome these hardships and challenges. After I came to the U.S.A., a wide range of people from different places in the US helped me through all the new challenges I was facing. I had help with donations for my school supplies and other living needs for me to live in here. I have gained a better understanding of how nice and helpful people are in the US that volunteer to help me and my family to better advance our future goals and dreams. The number of community members that have supported my family and I has been amazingly helpful, I would not be applying to a four-year university without their assistance, I am so grateful!.

Today where I am is with the help of my family, friends and other mentors who helped and worked very hard for my future and goals.