I am Albara. and I am from Yemen. I am Yemeni. I was born in Yemen, and I lived in the city of Ibb in the neighborhood named Awad. I enjoyed Islamic school because I was good at it and I studied to 7th grade. From 1st to 4th grade, I was at the top of my class.
A turning point for me was when my father said, “Would you like to come to New York City for school?” I came to the US to learn because, in Yemen, the schools are not always good. Sometimes, there are only two teachers for all the subjects.
I like to see my friends and play, and I want to finish school with good grades. In Yemen, I was good at history and science. I hated math. I enjoy seeing my other friends, and I play soccer. I got good at it because I practiced it a lot. The greatest struggle in my life was when I came to the U.S. because I feel like I miss my family. I need them to be with me.
The most important thing to me is my family. They are precious to me. My father is here with me in Brooklyn, but he goes back and forth to Yemen to visit my mom and grandparents. Sometimes my mom visits but she doesn’t like to stay here because her family is in Yemen. I feel okay about being here alone with my dad because I came here to prepare for a career as a police officer or a pilot. I feel lucky because of my dreams, my family, and my god because when I pray, I feel safer and more peaceful.
Dear Albara,I’m interested in your introduction because I like how you gave the exact place you lived and where you were born. one thing I learned in your writing that stood out for me is “I like to see my friends and play, and I want to finish school with good grades. In Yemen, I
was good at history and science.”I think this is interesting because i think that not a lot of people are good at history and science since they are kinda hard.your writing connect to my own experience because i came from Yemen too and i’m and you said that you have family in Yemen in my moms side and I really miss them and you said that you used to go to school in Yemen well me too. Thanks for your work on youth voices, I look forward to seeing what you write next because you and I are friends and we work together and I wonder what you will write next.
Your story is amazing. I really appreciate you sharing this. You are very, very brave to be able to come to a foreign country by yourself sometimes and still be able to succeed in school. That is very inspiring. I also love the final quote of your discussion which I find very true, “I feel lucky because of my dreams, my family, and my god because when I pray, I feel safer and more peaceful.”
Your story is impressive. I like that you added the comparison between school here in the US and yemen because it really gives a perspective on your motivation to come to the US for education.
Dear Alabara
I am impressed by your post, “When I pray, I feel safer and more peaceful” because you show commitment and dedication for your future. You and your family are overcoming the difficult challenge of being distant from each other. You were given the opportunity to come to the U.S. for a better future and are willing to work hard and overcome all the sacrifices that get in your way.
One sentence that stood out to me was “I feel okay about being here alone with my dad because I came here to prepare for a career as a police officer or a pilot.” It stood out to me because you are willing to work for what you desire in life. You are strong and I know you will strive for a bright future. You show commitment and have goals that you will accomplish as long as you work for them.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because you are an achiever and have goals set out for your future self. Remember it will get difficult at times but you must work hard and never give up!
I am so inspired by your story. I have so much respect for you for going after your goals, and making the sacrifices that you have had to make. Thank you for sharing this.
Dear Albara :
I am touched by your post, “When I pray, I feel safer and more peaceful,” because of the sacrifices you and your family made in coming to the U.S. These sacrifices would allow you to achieve your career goals of either being a Police officer or a Pilot. One sentence you wrote that stands out to me is: “The most important thing to me is my family. They are precious to me.” I think this is inspiring because it shows your dedication, not many people are willing to do what you are doing. I’m sure your family is really supportive, without this support, your chances of achieving your career goals would be very slim.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I respect your level of dedication; I am dedicated to being better in all aspects of life, which means I strive to surround myself with people who are also dedicated. I also respect your family for their support toward your future.
Chris Aguila