Maryam and Mauret: A Volunteer Helps a Young Afghan Refugee Pursue Her Dreams in New Hampshire

If you meet Maryam, chances are you will see some big smiles. Her relentless positivity becomes even more impressive when you learn what she has already overcome in her young life, and what she is balancing now as she adapts to her new country, helps care for her family, and pursues her dreams. 

A Life Interrupted

Maryam grew up in the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. She was passionate about school and a top student. When the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021, her education there abruptly came to an end. “We were given a mid-term exam,” she remembers, “After the mid-term exam, we don’t go to school.” Her brother was allowed to continue his studies, but Maryam, her sister, and all of her female classmates were forbidden.  

Things soon got worse. Maryam’s mother worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and for an American company. The Taliban began violently threatening people with ties to the U.S. After a nearby incident involving a car bomb, it became clear that they were in terrible danger. “It was too much.”  

They had to leave. 

Maryam fled with her mother, father, brother, and sister to Pakistan. From there, they applied to the U.S. for “Special Immigrant Visas,” which can be granted to refugees who have helped serve the U.S. abroad. After three years of limbo, they finally arrived in the U.S. in 2024.

Maryam says her parents had chosen New England with their children in mind.“My parents came here just for my education,” she says, “mine and my siblings’.”  They made it clear to her that this should be her focus. She was deeply grateful. “I love learning,” she says with a smile, “I love education.”

The International Institute of New England helped Maryam and her family resettle in Manchester, New Hampshire, moving them into their first apartment, helping them access food and medical care, connecting them to support, and enrolling them in English classes. Maryam was particularly excited to learn that there was already an Afghan community living in the area, and she took comfort in how many immigrants she met from all over the world at her high school. 

She remembers many people being helpful during those early days. One of them was Mike, an IINE volunteer coordinator. He asked about her goals, and since she was almost college-age, whether she was interested in higher education. “I told him, ‘Yes, I want to go, I love education,’” she says. Mike made a note. About two months later he reached back out to her and said, “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” 

Heeding a Call

Mauret lives in Durham, New Hampshire and works for a health charity. She had heard about IINE from volunteers who had helped to set up apartments for newly arriving refugee families. Having been disturbed by recent federal policy targeting refugees, these stories were on her mind.   

“I had gone to a No Kings protest and a speaker said, ‘get involved in whatever way speaks to you, but get involved.’ I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to take that to heart.’ So, I reached out to IINE.” 
 
When Mauret reached Mike, he told her about a new type of volunteer opportunity. “Mike basically said, ‘We don’t have any refugees coming in, so we’re not setting up apartments right now, but we are starting a new program and it’s mentoring to help achieve their goals, whether that’s going on in their education, or getting a job, or whatever it may be.’ He asked if I would be willing to try it.” 

Maryam Meets Mauret 

It was around Thanksgiving when Maryam and Mauret had their first meeting at IINE.  
 
“We sat down for about an hour. We just started talking about what it is that she wants to do. Where does she want to go? What does she want to focus on? Right from the start, she said, ‘I want an education,’ and we started talking about college applications.” 

They began texting with each other frequently. Mauret learned what Maryam was balancing. A beginning English student, she had started attending high school in Manchester. While her parents wanted her to focus on her education, neither were able-bodied enough to work, and so Maryam had taken part-time jobs at a big box store and a supermarket in order to help support them. Most days, she didn’t get home until 9 p.m. 

With such a packed schedule, Maryam didn’t have much down time. She might watch a little TV before bed, and she loved listening to both Afghan and American music while eating meals or in the car, but for the most part, she was happily immersed in her studies and her work. As Mauret says, “she never complains.” 
 
“In my jobs, in my classes, in my living at home, everything— it’s so good. I’m so happy,” Maryam says. 
 
“She really is an inspiration,” says Mauret. 

Community Mentorship 

The more Mauret got to know Maryam, the more determined she became to help her pursue higher education. Realizing that Maryam would need to stay close to her family, Mauret found time to take her on tours of every local college. She helped her navigate the full application process, from completing her college essay, to figuring out the biggest challenge: tuition. To do this, Mauret joined forces with Maryam’s school guidance counselor and a local education nonprofit to help Maryam work through the complicated task of applying for federal financial aid.  

Their hard work paid off. In the spring, Maryam was accepted to Manchester Community College with enough support to attend. 

“I’m so happy!” Maryam says, adding that she couldn’t have done it without Mauret’s help. “I swear! Thank you, Mauret, thank you so much! 
 
“Maryam, you give me way too much credit,” says Mauret. “You are the one that has all of the drive and the ambition. You are just dedicated to do this. I just have so enjoyed working with you.” 

Próximos pasos

While Maryam had planned to major in business, her parents convinced her that the most expedient path to a good job would be nursing. Now she’s excited about the idea. “I love nursing!” she says.  

Mauret says their next goal is for Maryam to earn a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) certificate. She told Maryam, “If you get your LNA, you could work in the career you’re going into and get that experience. There’s a demand for LNAs, and you would have that opportunity to work the hours that you want to.” 

As excited as Maryam was about the idea, she was also worried about the potential cost, so she was thrilled to learn about IINE’s free, Manchester-based skills training program: LNA for Success.  
 
“Oh my god!” she says. “I will put that on my to-do-list for tomorrow!”

“She’s Opened My Eyes”

“Just jump in.” That’s Mauret’s advice for anyone considering volunteering with IINE as a community mentor.  She’s learned a lot from the experience of working with Maryam.  
 
“Maybe I’ve done a lot for her, but she’s done a lot for me too. She’s opened my eyes. Here is this person who is just doing everything she can to better herself and provide support for her family. I’ve learned about people who just want a better life and how hard they work towards that.” 

She says that in their short time together, “it’s been wonderful to see her grow.”  

As for the future, “I just really want to see her succeed. I’d like to see her really working in her field. I worry because she’s now in a new environment. She’s got a language barrier. It’s not going to be easy. But I think she’s a fighter, and I think she’s going to figure it out.” 

Fortunately for Maryam, she won’t have to figure it out alone.  

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Refugiados e inmigrantes emprenden largos y difíciles viajes para huir de la violencia y rehacer sus vidas en Estados Unidos. Tú puedes darles la ayuda que necesitan.