Since I started my own personal campaign to get gifted refugee children into private schools with smaller classes and more individual attention, I’ve been successful beyond my expectations.

Four gifted refugee students have already been accepted in very good schools  and two more are one or two days from acceptance.

I met Noorul Hotak – he is from Afghanistan – a month ago, his teacher Kathy Sosa told me  what a wonderful student he was, and how bright he is.  She thinks he might be a math prodigy.

I met with him and arranged an appointment at a prestigious private school, and he spent a day there.

The school invited him to apply for admission. But he didn’t want to go. He made a wise and honest and difficult decision.

He decided to stay in the public school system and move on to Albany High School.

He just didn’t feel comfortable at the academy and he felt his English language skills were not strong enough to handle the academic workload there.  He also didn’t want to leave his close friends.

I completely respect his decision, I think it was quite brave. The private school is a very fine school, but I can see how it could be intimidating to someone struggling to learn English.

Noorul’s classmate, Eh K Pru, felts completely at ease going there, she is excited and certain.

So was Sakler Moo.

Everyone is different.

Noorul is extraordinarily bright, but also painfully shy and quiet. His father died just before he was born, he was a physician who contracted a  fatal disease while trying to save sick  children at his clinic.

Kathy, whose instincts I trust, believes Noorul needs more attention and direction than most public school classes can offer, but she also respects his judgement.  It is up to him. Noorul told me he was afraid to make a switch like that.

And it was a good learning experience for me. I assume these kids will want to move to smaller, more focused classrooms and schools. But I shouldn’t presume anything. Everyone doesn’t need to want wha I think they might want.

One of my blog readers, a thoughtful and generous person named Kathleen, was following Noorul’s story, and asked me what we could give him, and I checked with Kathy.

We agreed a laptop computer would be the best gift and Kathleen purchased it and shipped it to me, and I brought it to Noorul today.

Noorul was stunned and thrilled.  He seemed to not believe it at first, that a relative stranger would come in and give him something like that.

Kathy hadn’t told him what I was bringing, only that I wanted to see  him. He could barely get the words out, but I saw him grim from ear to ear for the first time.

I asked him if he might be interested in  exploring Bishop Maginn one day, or a different school. He said he might. I don’t want to push that, it has to come from him. I gave him my e-mail and phone number and said he should call me at any time if he had any serious problems. He said he would do that.

I am a product of the public school system and believe in it strongly, but the needs of some of the refugee students are very particular, especially those with English language issues. Often, these children are traumatized.

Some public schools, especially those in poorer urban areas, are often underfunded, the class and work load far too big. The teachers are the first ones to testify to that.

I know some refugees  who have thrived in the local high school, and some who have suffered. In the current political climate, there is growing hostility to these children, some tell me that they have suffered worse.

So I’ll leave it at that. I don’t pretend to know what’s best for everyone, I have great respect for boundaries.

Noorul and I got along very well, we had an honest and open talk today. If he calls me or needs me, I’ll be there. If not, I wish him the best. He is awfully smart and serious about his life, I know he will do well.

And he smiled for a second time, and shook my hand, and said that with his computer, he knew he could always reach me.  I do have a feeling I will see him again.

Thanks, Kathleen, for this generous and much appreciated gift.