(E K Pru Shee Wan and her teacher, Kathy Sosa)

So I’ve had my meetings with Kathy Sosa, Eh K Pru Shee Wha, Noorul Potak, and the staff at the Albany Academy, and it is time soon for the next chapter: Making this dream come true.

The school has offered Eh K Pru a $21,000 scholarship, the highest amount they are permitted to offer. She has applied to this school, one of the most prestigious in the Northeast. There is a tuition shortfall.

To stay in the school for four years, she will need $6,000 a year in tuition, and several hundred dollars in lunch and other fees. Alex Borgess, a senior at the academy, has raised $6,000 for her final year.

I have agreed to raise $6,000 a year for the next three years. The school would love to get this $18,000 up front, but I don’t know if that is possible.

What I would like to do is raise the $6,000 for this year, as I did with Sakler Moo, and then raise the remaining money each of the subsequent three years. If I get it all, great.

I have argued that the refugee children need a full scholarship, not a  partial one since most of these families have no money. So far, I’m not getting anywhere.

Noorul Potak, the math whiz from Afghanistan,  is going to be more of a challenge. He has been invited to visit the school today and take the entrance exam.

I don’t know if the school has the money to offer him a similar scholarship this year or not, I’ve gotten mixed signals about it and I have pushed them  hard on his behalf. I’m not sure they like that.

If he is admitted, I’m not certain I can or should take on $12,000 or more for the next few years. I hope the school can work with me to come up with a doable plan for Noorul. It will be a challenge, we have had some hard negotiations already.

The first meeting to talk about that didn’t go as well as I wanted, but I am still hopeful. They would not have invited him to visit the school if they weren’t very interested.

I’m fighting hard for him, but the school has budgets and many needs also. Noorul needs to get in a school like this, I will keep on pushing.

These are both outstanding students, they will need no prodding or hand-holding they are desperate for the best education they can possibly can and eager to work hard for it. Despite enormous language and other obstacles, both have vaulted to the top of their classes, and their school.

Eh K Pru is all good news.  She starts in September. I have taken on the responsibility of raising $6,000 a year for three years. She will need that money to complete her education there. Eh K Pru spent the first 10 years of her life in a U.N.refugee camp. She says she learned a lot there.

I need to get busy. Eh K Pru is a remarkable young women, a brilliant student. She needs this opportunity to  grow and learn.

The academy has promised to put up a contributions page on their website so people can contribute directly to the school for her remaining tuition and fees. I will offer contributions in two ways: directly to the school (it is tax-deductible that way, they are a non-profit) or directly to  me, if people wish to send smaller amounts or prefer to donate directly to my refugee fund.

You can also send your contributions to Eh K Pru Shee Wah Tuition Fund, Bramble Buran, The Albany Academy, 135 Academy Road, Albany, N.Y., 12208. Please mark your checks Eh K Pru Shee Haw

The choice up to you and the Army Of Good, I hope you can help, but do it in whatever way you like. I have a special account to store and account for the money I receive, the school will keep track of their donations.

If you are sending contributions to me, please send them to Paypal, [email protected], or to Jon Katz, Eh K Pru Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.

I hope to raise $6,000 fo 2019/20 tuition plus $375 for the lunch plan over the next month or so. Any overage will go towards next year. If I can, I will pay that off now or as soon as I raise the money.

Thanks for helping. These kids are worth it.