Education

When Saja Abbas was in middle school in Iraq, her education came to a sudden halt. The war that began in 2003 disrupted daily life, closing schools and shifting her family’s focus to survival. “I was a kid at home who didn’t understand what was going on,” Saja recalled. “But it was a big impact on my education.”

In 2006, Saja and her family fled to Syria to escape the violence, but even there, education remained out of reach. Three years later, they arrived in the United States as refugees, determined to build a safer, more promising future.

In 2013, Saja enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s tuition-free high school for adults. Her initial goal was simple yet profound: to learn English so she could communicate and help her family. “The high school diploma was not the goal for me. My goal was to learn English,” she said.

But with each class, Saja’s goals expanded. She faced the daunting task of learning English head-on, taking English classes repeatedly until she became fluent. Her persistence inspired everyone around her. “Saja was an incredibly resilient student,” said Wes Coker, lead teacher, at The Excel Center in Noblesville, Indiana. “Most people would struggle to take the same class over and over. Her bravery inspired me.”

Even while mastering a new language, Saja was building a community. She tutored fellow students in math and often helped translate, making sure others didn’t feel lost like she once had.

With hard work and the support of The Excel Center, Saja not only learned English, but she also earned her high school diploma, college credits and a pharmacy technician certification. This launched her into a career she was eager to grow. “With the pharmacy certification, I was able to work as a technician. But to me, I wanted to do more,” she said.

And more she did. In just three years, Saja completed her chemistry degree, then earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from Purdue University. Today, she’s making an impact at Eli Lilly.

“I would choose something challenging over something in my comfort zone because life is going to be hard,” she said. “Choosing something hard to match your dream will be worth it.”

For Saja, the sky is truly the limit. As she looks to the future, she says her “goal is to help people anywhere in the world.”

At just 14 years old, Brithney Isidore arrived in the United States from Chile with her mother and sister, stepping into a new country, culture and language. When she enrolled at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, she spoke little English, often relying on Google Translate just to get through class. “It was hard for me to go through classes and just communicate in general,” she shared. But even then, Brithney refused to settle.

Over summer break, she took matters into her own hands – signing up for English classes, watching movies and listening to music in English. By the time school resumed in the fall, Brithney astonished her teachers by communicating fluently.

Indianapolis Met, a school for students experiencing circumstances that may create barriers to education, provided more than academics. Brithney received help with clothing, food and transportation. “I was scared to ask for help,” Brithney said. “But when I did, they were willing. If it wasn’t for that support, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Brithney quickly began paying it forward. Fluent in Haitian Creole, Spanish, French and English, she helped other students who were just beginning their English journeys – students who, like her, might be too afraid to ask for help.

At Indianapolis Met, Brithney also joined JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates), excelling in competitions that tested her employability skills. She placed first in a statewide contest that included resume writing, cover letters and interviews, an achievement that helped her see herself the way others always had.

Even when a life-threatening medical emergency forced her to undergo surgery and miss two months of school, Brithney’s determination never wavered. With the support of school staff, she maintained straight A’s, graduating with an outstanding GPA.

Now, with multiple college acceptance letters – including a full-ride scholarship to the University of Indianapolis – Brithney is on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse. Her motto is simple yet powerful:

“Giving up is always an option. But the answer has to always be no.”