Student Spotlight: Sara K
Sara is a newer Academic English student at Literacy Source, but her focus and determination are deeply familiar to anyone who knows our students. Her instructor, Elena, describes her as “very engaged and active,” noting that she is “progressing in her language development very fast,” while her tutor, Barbara, shares that Sara is “a quick learner and making great progress,” particularly in advanced grammar and interview skills connected to her civil engineering goals.
Having grown up in Syria amid the realities of war, Sara carries with her a deep resilience shaped by hardship, family, and adaptation, which continues to guide her as she works toward a role in her field after earning her Engineer-in-Training license and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam on her first attempt.
I come from a small and loving family in the city of Aleppo. I have two siblings, one brother and one sister, both of whom are older than me. Growing up, my family was always my safe place. My parents taught us to love and support each other, and to always put family first in every decision we make. Those values have remained with me until today.
My childhood was truly a happy one. I was surrounded by wonderful people who loved me and supported me. My school was not considered the best in the city, but for me, it was perfect. I enjoyed being there and made many close friends. I stayed in the same school from kindergarten to the end of middle school, which gave me a strong sense of stability and belonging.
However, when I was in the 9th grade, a civil war started in my country. That period changed everything. Many members of my extended family and a lot of my friends began leaving the country in search of safety and a better life. It was one of the hardest periods I have ever lived through. Losing people, accepting constant change, and adapting to such a painful reality were not easy at all.
Living with the fear of death was overwhelming. Growing up while death surrounded me at every moment is something very difficult to explain. It was not only fear for myself, but also fear for everyone I loved. One incident from that time is something I’ll never forget. One day, while I was walking with a friend, suddenly there was a very loud sound. We immediately dropped to the ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw my friend bleeding from his neck. For a second, I was completely shocked while he was shouting, please help me. I don’t know where that strength came from, but I grabbed him, stopped a taxi, and took him to the nearest hospital. Fortunately, his wound wasn’t fatal, and he made a quick recovery.
In high school, I met the love of my life. He was my classmate. Our relationship started as close friends, then it grew, and we started dating. In 2017, his family received immigration papers to the U.S. It was a big surprise to us. We were too young to handle everything we were going through, but we chose to hold on to each other and continued in a long-distance relationship. I went to college after that and studied civil engineering.
We got married in 2024, and all his family and mine came to the wedding in Lebanon. It was one of the best days of my life. I was so grateful for that moment.
Then I moved to the U.S. with him. It was one of the biggest steps in my life. Deciding to leave your country, family, friends, and work, and move to a different country with a completely different way of life is really hard, but one of the few benefits of that war was that we learned to adapt to any situation we are put in. However, the hardest part for me in leaving my country was saying goodbye to my niece. I was deeply connected to her. She meant the world to me. Seeing her crying, and with no idea of when I’ll be able to meet her again, was so harsh. I always thought that saying goodbye had become a natural thing to me, because of how much we used to say that, but that wasn’t the case with her.
Today, all of these experiences have shaped the person I am becoming. They have taught me the meaning of never giving up, staying grateful, and being strong and productive in whatever you’re facing. Time is flowing, and every situation eventually changes. In the end, what truly matters is how we choose to act.