Zahra Husainy will never forget the date: August 25, 2021. That’s when the Afghan native, then just 17, became a refugee upon fleeing with her family from their hometown of Kabul after Taliban fighters overwhelmed the besieged capital. “All my goals, my dreams, everything was destroyed overnight,” said Husainy, whose father had been employed by the American military, sewing together uniforms and repairing backpacks and other gear. “It was just chaos.”

The chaos finally ended – after 11 months confined to a sweltering Abu Dhabi refugee camp – when Husainy landed in San Diego and found San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE). She’s now creating a new life, progressing through courses to help her master English, earning her GED through the school’s High School Diploma/Equivalency program, serving as Associated Student Body vice president and secretary, and working as an SDCCE project assistant helping newly arrived immigrants enroll at the college to reclaim their lives.

“Zahra's tenacity is outshined only by her commitment to being there for others,” said Doria Ruhl, an ESL instructor and Associated Student Body advisor.

Indeed, Husainy is a template for compassion, persistence and achievement and represents the best of Women’s History Month. Yet she found all the College of Continuing Education had to offer almost by happenstance.

“When I was looking at SDCCE, I was just looking for a school to learn English,” Husainy explained. “But when I started coming to school at the César E. Chávez Campus and seeing the teachers and seeing the students…this school has given me back all the things the Taliban destroyed.”

Among them, the commitment to complete a journey she sees culminating with her redemption as a heart surgeon. Let her explain:

“When I was 13 years old, there was a terrorist attack in Kabul,” Husainy said in a halting voice, tears welling in her eyes. “A lady next to me was shot. She was holding her chest. She fell down. She looked up at me. She needed help. But I was helpless. I was afraid. I was afraid I would get shot. So, I kept running… I’ve always felt guilty since then. I want to address that guilt. I want to become a doctor, a heart surgeon, so I can help people and never feel so helpless again.”

Don’t doubt her resolve. In need of a job but having no experience looking for one, Husainy Googled “looking for a job,” watched endless YouTube videos, learned how to craft an effective resume, searched the internet and – just weeks later – nailed an interview. She started working at the César E. Chávez Campus in December 2023. “When I read that job description, I knew this was something I wanted to do,” she said. “Now that I’m working, I feel more at peace.”

Husainy has mapped out her strategy to reach her career goals: enroll at San Diego City College, perhaps earning a nursing degree; transfer to San Diego State University for a bachelor’s degree; then enroll at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, the recent recipient of a transformational gift ensuring no student at Einstein will ever have to pay tuition again.

That’s a long way from the chaos of Afghanistan and the confinement of a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi. On July 27, 2022, the Husainy family landed in San Diego without a job, with precious little cash, and not knowing what to expect. “We were just happy to get out of that refugee camp,” she said, describing how she, four siblings spent almost all their time in cramped quarters with a few beds and a bathroom. “Our mental health was not good.”

After living with an uncle for two weeks, the International Rescue Committee arranged for the family to move into a rented house near the Educational Cultural Complex. Her parents enrolled in ESL classes at the ECC; She enrolled at the César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan.

“The reason I’m talking to you today is because I enrolled at the César E. Chávez campus.”

She has more than her share of fans at SDCCE. Diana Vera-Alba, ESL assistant program chair who is Husainy’s supervisor at work, is among them.  “Zahra’s ability to connect with students and offer support is a testament to her empathy and interpersonal skills,” Vera-Alba said. “I am very proud of Zahra and I have no doubt that she will continue to excel and fulfill her dreams and goals in the future.”

Concluded Husainy: “I realize now the Taliban did not destroy my dreams. My plans were just changed. I am reaching my goals here.”