For most students, graduation is a milestone years in the making. For Lincoln High School senior Zohra Alokozay, it's a moment she once thought might never come.
Just two years ago, Alokozay couldn't speak English. Today, she's graduating with a 3.5 GPA and preparing to attend Sierra College.
Her path to graduation began thousands of miles away in Afghanistan, where her education was abruptly cut short when the Taliban returned to power.
"I was finishing my final exam," Alokozay recalled. "My teacher came to class and told me, 'You're going to run very fast to home.'"
That day marked the end of her time in school. She never returned to the classroom, never saw many of her friends again, and was forced to leave her country behind.
Her family fled to Pakistan, but the cost of education kept her out of school for years.
"People are free a little bit for boys, not for girls," she said. "It's difficult."
Everything changed in September 2024 when Alokozay and her family arrived in the United States. For the first time in years, she had the opportunity to continue her education. There was just one challenge: she didn't speak English.
"When she first started with us, she just had words here and there," said Lincoln High counselor Sherri Sandoval. "She could sometimes put together a sentence, but it was still kind of a struggle."
But teachers say Alokozay's determination quickly stood out. Through hard work and persistence, she learned English, excelled academically, and embraced every opportunity she was given.
"Everybody has a story. Everybody has a journey, whether you're born here or you weren't born here," Sandoval said. "Being sensitive to people's journeys and listening to their stories is so important."
Now, the student whose education was interrupted by war and displacement is preparing for her next chapter at Sierra College.
She hopes to one day help others who face hardships of their own.
"I really want in the future to help people that really need it," Alokozay said.
As she prepares to walk across the graduation stage, Alokozay says she never takes the opportunity for education for granted.
Her message to others facing obstacles is simple:
"Just keep going. Everything you want, you do it because no one can stop you in your life," she said. "Here, people are free. You can do anything you want."
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