Good news this week for Noorul Hotak, a brilliant 13-year Afghan refugee. Noorul has been invited to visit the prestigious Albany Academy in  Albany, New York and take their entrance examination.

He has not yet been admitted to the school, but this is a significant step in that direction. Kathy Saso, his teacher and champion at the Hackett Middle School

The Academy has been generous in awarding scholarships for Sakler Moo, who you may remember from the refugee soccer team and E K Pru Shee Wah, also 13, who spend was admitted to the school a few weeks ago.

I don’t know how much extra money is available for scholarship support for Noorul, private schools don’t have as much money as people think.

if the academy can’t take him, I’ll contact several other schools in the area. Kathy says Noorul is one of the most gifted students she has ever had in her public school classes, Kathy is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher.

She knows what she is talking about. Noorul, who loves mathematics,  is shy, but I could get him to smile. He wants to go to college and study engineering.

I met Noorul last week at the Hackett Middle School, he is an extraordinary young men, his father, a physician, died just before Noorul was born while treating sick Afghan children, he contracted one of the diseases he was trying to cure.

Noorul’s family fled Afghanistan amidst a wave of child kidnappings, shoots and bombs. His family got to Pakistan, and then to the United States. Noorul spoke no English when he came to the United States two years ago, he speaks the language fluently now.

I feel the need to say that his family came here legally, and are excellent citizens.  Noorul is no criminal, predator, thief, gang member or drain on society. He gives a lie to the libel many of our politicians are spreading about refugees.

His mother works in a local Wal-Mart at least 10 hours a day baking in their bakery. Noorul leads his class in honor grades and Kathy says he is a remarkable, hard-working and gifted student. They embody the American Dream. She fought her way to America to give her children a better life. I hope to help make that dream a reality.

I will fight hard to get him admitted to the Albany Academy, I might need to raise between six and seven thousand dollars in order to do it. I might have to do that every year for four years. Whatever happens, the school’s commitment to diversity has been generous and very real.

Christopher Lauricella, the head of the school, is impressive. He is someone I have come to trust and respect. He is honest, he does what he says he will do and is open about what he can’t do.

As some of you know, my work with the refugees has been difficult, the refugee organizations sometimes xenophobic or worse,  I work easily and honestly with people like Chris. He is transforming lives and also helping his school. These are good students to have.

I’m not at that point of fund-raising yet, and it may not be necessary this year, but I will share Noorul’s journey openly and transparently, as always. He is worthy of our support, I consider it a patriotic duty.

Kathy’s class has 30 students in it, and Noorul, with his special gifts, needs a more focused environment. I believe he would be a great asset to Albany Academy, but that is up to them. You don’t find many students this bright anywhere.

But the first step, after his test, is to get admitted. We’ll have to take it from there.

Kathy and I have teamed up to support her gifted refugee students. I’m funding a class trip the FDR home and museum  Hyde Park N.Y. We got Eh K Pru admitted to the academy, time to fight for Noorul. He needs advocates.

Kathy is a treasure, she is a heroically dedicated teacher, making little money and working in difficult conditions. She cares so much about her students.

If you wish to support this important work at a critical time, you can help: You can donate via Paylal [email protected], or by mail, Jon Katz. Refugee Scholarship, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

Please mark  your contributions “Refugee Scholarships,” all money goes into a special account audited monthly by a bookkeeper and also by an accounting firm in New York.