"Education is Everything": Abdul Shokoor Zeerak

Abdul Shokoor Zeerak, from Ghazni province, learned early that it is important to follow the rules. This recipe has built a strong foundation for success, both academically and professionally.

Abdul Shokoor, who has spent four semesters at AUAF thus far, is one of ten AUAF students selected to intern with the Export Development Agency of Afghanistan, a partner of AUAF.

A homegrown success story?

Born in 1989, Abdul Shokoor has spent his entire life in Afghanistan, a rarity in a country that has seen successive mass migrations of its population to neighboring countries of Iran and Pakistan. "We never left the country, even during the war."

Too young to remember the pre-Taliban period of violence, he talks about life under the Taliban. "They were very harsh. But their behavior towards Hazaras was even worse." Abdul Shokoor hails from a minority ethnic group in Afghanistan, the Hazaras, which has been at odds with other ethnic groups over the course of Afghanistan’s history.

"Unlike many, I was lucky to graduate from high school without any gaps in my education. But I was very aware about how important it was to follow the rules." Despite this, Shokoor remembers being discriminated against, an inclination that continues to today in much of the population. "During my ninth grade, some students were against me because of my ethnicity and it had made it hard for me to continue attending that secondary school."

He quickly adds, "But I don’t look at my past very much. I am optimistic about my future, about our future."  

Looking Forward: A New Chapter

After two semesters in the Foundation Studies Program, Abdul Shokoor has built his English language proficiency strong enough to enroll as an undergraduate student.

"It is now my second semester of undergraduate."

Looking back at the past semesters, Abdul Shokoor recounts highlights of his AUAF experience: "The freedom is excellent. I can discuss and share my opinion without any restrictions."

Glad to be a member of the AUAF community, he says, "I think education is everything and I get it here."

"I think my peers should seriously think about educating themselves, too. It would be much easier for many of them to come here if AUAF could become cheaper."

Serving in a leadership position is what Abdul Shokoor is keen on. "I would like to join the government in sectors of foreign affairs and commerce." He is quick to add, "I believe it is possible to have a strong government that really works to serve the nation and I want to work in such a government."

Abdul Shokoor has recently been selected to participate in an internship program with EPAA, a partner of AUAF, as Public Relations Officer.

He hopes to use his internship experience to explore improvements he would like to see in Afghanistan’s civil service.

"EPAA has been very successful in helping Afghans organize their trades and in this way, earn more money with the same products. It is because we work hard and we want to progress faster and faster."

In an attempt to train a workforce well-equipped to respond to Afghanistan’s future needs, AUAF provides a number of internship programs for its students off campus and work study opportunities on campus, aiming to expose young Afghans to various professional workplaces.

Currently, additional internships are available at USAID/Ministry of Higher Education and Treasury of the Afghanistan Government.