The tuition fund is a new experience for me, and there has never been a better purpose for it than to help Melak, a gifted and charismatic junior at Bishop Maginn High School, be safe and remain in the school.

Melak has lived about a dozen lifetimes for someone so young – she is 16 – she and her family survived the awful violence and danger of the Iraq invasion and aftermath and the Syrian civil war, which once again took everything the family had.

She is a brave and strong spirit.

Melak lived with almost unimaginable violence in the most dangerous territory on the earth – there were kidnappings, bombings, killings, famine, and disease all around her. She was a refugee twice, once in Iraq, then again in Syria.

When she made it to the United States, she faces bullying, harassment, and bewilderment, she spoke no English and was in classes so large there was little help for her.

In desperation, her family got her to Bishop Maginn, where she felt safe and supported for the first time in her life. She learned to speak English, met a dedicated teacher who made time for her and found friends who love and support her.

Unfortunately, the family has no money to pay for any tuition.

Bishop Maginn may not be the wealthiest private school with the highest number of class offerings, but every student there says it is the best school they have ever been to, a place where they can learn and grow.  And be safe and loved.

I think that is the poll that counts.

The refugee, long a staple of American identity and values, is under relentless attack. Federal aid is being slashed, the number of refugees admitted to our country reduced to almost nothing.

There is no question  Malek and her family could not be admitted to our country now. At the moment, we can do little to avert this tragedy for so many, but we can at least offer a hand to those who are here and deserving of our help.

Like most refugees, Melak’s family lost everything, but the school admitted her anyway because she is so bright and so unique, and in the hope that we could raise some money for her tuition. They believe in her and her future, and what makes Bishop Maginn so unique is that they take chances for children.

The tuition for her is $4,000 a year for two years, all we can do is the best that we can. This school does not throw students out over money, but there is a great deal of pressure on the Catholic Church these days, and the school needs all the tuition money it can get.

I believe we can and will help Melak. This mission is in our wheelhouse.

This money and generosity does not come through me; contributions go directly to the school. I have no idea if a lot of money is pouring in or if nothing is. It makes me feel a bit powerless at times.

Mike Tolan, the principal, will let me know at some point how it’s going. I think this aid is essential. Malek deserves a school like this and needs one. It saved her; she is quick to say.

If you wish to support her tuition at Bishop Maginn, it is tax-deductible, and you will shape a brilliant life, this young woman is extraordinary in many ways. Principal Mike Tolan says, “she is one of my best students.” And just three years ago, she only spoke Arabic and was the target or relentless bullying and ridicule.

Since she came to Bishop Maginn, no one has said an unkind thing to her.

If you wish to contribute, you can do so directly by donating to Principal Mike Tolan, Bishop Maginn High School, 75 Park Avenue, Albany, N.Y., 12202. Please mark the contributions for “Melak” or “tuition.” And thank you.