Khateera “Khaty” attended GVP in 2015 after coming to the US at age 14.

She’s currently a third year student at Georgia State University, getting her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She works at Friends of Refugees as a Program Assistant. The goal of the organization is to help Afghan women learn English – those who never had schooling before in their country. Khaty is happy to give back to the community. “My education means a lot to me, because my mom had to give up her own family back in my country just for us, me, my sister to come here and have a better education or achieve our goals or dreams and better life here. Looking at her, listening or just watching her, education gets more and more important for me. I want to be able to finish college, my Bachelor’s, and hopefully get my Masters Degree, then go on and get my PhD one day hopefully.” 

Khaty adds that “GVP has a big place in my life and where I am now, because if it wasn’t for GVP, I wouldn’t be here. GVP has helped me open my eyes, has filled my brain with this beautiful world, beautiful imagination, beautiful ideas. Students are not judged because of where they come from, not  judged because of how they look, how they speak, or how old they are. They’re just here to feel safe, feel protected, feel like they’re heard and welcomed.”