Imagine going on a summer vacation trip to a foreign country, only to learn once there that you would never return home. This is what happened to senior Sherief Beshara when he came to the U.S. from Egypt for 15 days the summer before his sophomore year of high school.
“I was so excited, because it had been a long time since I had seen my family members who had moved to America, and I had never been to the States,” Beshara said.
For the first eight days of the trip, Beshara and his family enjoyed touring D.C. and going to the mall.
“I had no idea that there was even a slight possibility of me staying to study and moving away from my country, my family and friends,” Beshara said.
It was not until the ninth day that his father suggested he and his sister stay in America to study. Believing it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a better education, Beshara and his sister chose to stay, despite having come unprepared to do so.
“The next two weeks were the most critical weeks of my life. After making the decision to stay, I immediately began working really hard to be able to be admitted to any high school in Virginia,” Beshara said.
He chose AHS in the end because of its proximity to his aunt’s house where he was staying.
“Our trip had turned from a fun summer vacation into a terrible going away party for my sister and myself, because my mother and father were unable to stay with us and had to head back to Egypt for work,” Beshara said.
Though Beshara had attended a private school run by Brits in Egypt, his counselor did not believe his English was sufficient for regular-level courses. He was placed in the ESOL program and held back a year, entering as a freshman.
“I was determined to give school 120% of my effort and to contribute all my time towards my education,” Beshara said.
Not only did he pass the year, but excelled, finishing with straight As. The next year Beshara and his sister moved out of their aunt’s house and into their own rental. The personal challenges continued for the sophomore as he enrolled in all honors classes.
“I pushed myself to the max,” Beshara said. “And I was able to pass with straight As again.”
That summer he took Algebra 2 online to catch up with his peer group and be able to take Pre-IB Pre Calculus as a junior. As a junior, he began the process of becoming an IB Diploma Candidate, taking three IB courses.
“It was extremely difficult, but I finished my junior year with a very high GPA despite my hard classes,” Beshara said.
Continuing to work over the summer, he prepared for senior year by working on his extended essay and updating his CAS profile for community service.
“After receiving my college acceptance letters and turning in my IAs and Extended Essay, I feel
like I have earned the privilege to experience senioritis,” Beshara said.
He plans to attend college and major in Mechanical Engineering.
“In the end, I miss certain things about Egypt but am glad I came when I did, especially since now the government conflict has made it dangerous to live in,” Beshara said.
