海角论坛

Yalda Baktash (C’18)聽spent much of her life living as a refugee in Iran. Today, she is passionate about doing work that benefits women and other refugees. Photo by Melissa Nyman.

April 19, 2016鈥擫ast semester was Yalda Baktash鈥檚 (C鈥�18) first at Georgetown 海角论坛鈥攂ut her journey to the Hilltop began long ago. Baktash, a major and and minor, moved to the United States in 2011. Originally from Afghanistan, she spent most of her life living as a refugee in Iran. She鈥檇 always dreamed of going to college but was unable to do so after graduating from high school in Tehran. We sat down with Baktash to learn more about her background and how Georgetown became the place she calls home. 聽

Georgetown 海角论坛: How did you come to live in Iran, and what was it like to grow up outside of your home country?

Yalda Baktash:聽I was born in Afghanistan and lost my father during the civil war. After the Taliban took Kabul, they immediately forbade women to go to school or work. My mom was concerned about my and my brother鈥檚 safety, and after some very rough weeks, she found a way to flee the country.

Refugee life is never easy鈥攜ou feel that you are different every minute of every day. I grew up thinking a lot about that and how I could make a difference. My mom was pretty active in the refugee community鈥擨 think over three million Afghans are living in Iran. When I was about 13, my family and I founded an association for Afghan refugees called 鈥淭he Blue Umbrella.鈥� We offered free services and classes for Afghan refugee communities, especially for women and young adults who never had the chance to voice their opinions about their country or show their passion about who they are. We wanted to give them the opportunity to feel loved and respected and showcase their talent.

GC: You have a professional background in media. How did you get into that line of work?

YB: Art and writing is my blood鈥攎y mom and my grandfather are poets, and I鈥檓 also a writer. I feel art is a good way to show the pain and the passion and the history of a nation. Growing up, I studied journalism, voice articulation (four years, in Farsi),聽film production, and聽calligraphy. In Iran, calligraphy is an important field鈥攊t takes four years to master it.

Going to college had been my ultimate goal, but I wasn鈥檛 able to do so after I graduated from high school. My calligraphy professor told me that I shouldn鈥檛 believe that education only exists inside a university, and that I could find it outside if I enjoyed my work and continued to study. And that changed my perspective.

My life became very busy鈥攁lthough I was in Iran, I worked for a lot of Afghan tv and radio channels. I produced programs, including two aimed at providing educational materials for Afghans, in particular, girls and young women鈥攕ome parts of Afghanistan are still unsafe, especially for girls and women, and it鈥檚 really hard to go to school. As a result, I was invited to teach calligraphy for Iranian national tv, which was a great experience. I would get emails, or people would come up to me to tell me that they were proud to see an Afghan girl teaching calligraphy to Iranians in Iran. Seeing other Afghans happy and satisfied with the work of a fellow Afghan was uplifting.

GC: How did you first encounter Georgetown?

YB: My husband was working for the United Nations when he was accepted to Georgetown鈥檚 PhD program in . He asked me if I wanted to move, and I felt it was a great opportunity. When we arrived in DC, my husband was very excited to see campus and get started right away鈥攊t was already one or two weeks into the semester. We came to campus and I sat in the ICC galleria, watching the students鈥攖hey were so busy and energetic and happy. That day, my old dream of being a student came back. Like a flash, I said, 鈥淲hat if?鈥� But back then it was an impossible idea.

GC: Tell us about your journey to becoming a student.

YB: Life here was very hard for me at first, coming from an active background in Iran. Here, with an F2 visa, you can鈥檛 study, you can鈥檛 work. So I decided to change my status.

We鈥檇 been in the U.S. for two years, and through my husband, I was a part of the Georgetown family by that time. I was always here, but I had a sad feeling whenever I came to campus鈥擨 really loved the school but I wasn鈥檛 a student and I didn鈥檛 really belong. It鈥檚 a very powerful feeling going to a place you really like and at the same time feeling you are a stranger.

I enrolled at (NOVA)鈥攖hey were wonderful. When I started, I didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do with my life. I鈥檝e always dreamed of becoming a writer鈥攂ooks were the only true friends I could count on growing up. So I took literature and philosophy, but I also found myself loving psychology and sociology. Soon it was time to think about applying for a four-year school. I was notified that I received an official recommendation from NOVA鈥檚 president鈥攅ach year three students get this honor. I cried鈥攊t was the first time I was recognized for my work living in this country. I鈥檓 still very grateful.

GC: Why did you choose to attend Georgetown?

YB: Georgetown was always at the top of my list鈥攊t was still my dream. I applied here, and to George Washington, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. I was accepted to all of them, and three offered me a full scholarship. My husband said this was my opportunity and that, whatever I chose, he would support me as I supported him.

I told my mom that I didn鈥檛 know what to do. She said, 鈥淟isten to your heart. Wherever your heart is, that鈥檚 your home.鈥� And my heart was at Georgetown. This is a place that I can call home鈥擨 had that feeling the first day I was here. And believe me, when I got the admission letter [for fall 2015], it was amazing.

GC: Why are you passionate about what you’re studying at the 海角论坛?

YB: I feel I have a commitment to the future generation of Afghanistan, to do research and try to improve communities. So I like sociology and trying to understand the nature of people and the nature of conflict, and asking questions like, 鈥淗ow did we get here? How can we prevent future problems? How can we find solutions?鈥�

I study psychology because I鈥檓 also concerned about the generations who grew up in refugee camps and places other than their own countries. When you move to another country, you leave part of yourself in your hometown. Your memories, your past, your childhood. There is a war inside of you all the time, and I understand that. I live it. I want to do something and give voice to people who, for many reasons, don鈥檛 have that opportunity.

GC: How have you made connections around campus?

YB: Being a transfer student, you have to start a new life. And it鈥檚 exciting鈥擨 always love to meet new people. Tad Howard and Thom Chiarolanzio in the 海角论坛 Dean鈥檚 Office have been very supportive in helping me find community, and I鈥檓 so grateful to them.

I volunteer at the , the first place I went when I arrived. I told them I鈥檓 very interested in women鈥檚 issues and women鈥檚 rights, and I would really love to be a part of this great cause. The staff were great and welcomed me.

When I was considering Georgetown, I knew I鈥檇 want to work with the here. I work with the executive director, and with the help of a few friends we hope to hold a youth council. I鈥檓 also a member of the , and I teach a Dari roundtable once a week.

I鈥檓 a member of the (GSP), and I鈥檝e just started volunteering with them. Without GSP, this transition [as a transfer student] wouldn鈥檛 be as smooth as it is for me. I feel like I have a family there.

GC: Looking back on the last five聽years, how do you feel now that you鈥檙e a Hoya, and what do you hope for in the future?

YB: What I really like is that Georgetown thinks about making you a better person鈥攇iving you the opportunity to explore yourself and challenge yourself. For example, with the 聽course鈥攊t鈥檚 not easy to question your core beliefs. But sometimes if you want to become stronger, you need to destroy everything that society or your family constructed for you and then discover yourself again. I鈥檓 enjoying discovering myself again.

When you take a risk, sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn鈥檛. For me, it did. I鈥檓 very glad to be at Georgetown, and I鈥檒l always remember that day鈥攖he first time I realized that I could dream about going to college again.

Someday, I want to write a book about the women of my homeland鈥攚hich is the title I plan to use鈥攁nd聽work in聽media again, making聽documentaries and short films. I also would really like to work for women, Afghan and otherwise. I still feel a very strong connection and commitment to my past鈥擨 want provide a voice for people who don鈥檛 have one.

I always feel that my father is with me and encouraging me鈥攚hatever I do is for him and for my mother and brother. When I talk about my past, I think about how it was such a normal life for me, but very different. Here, things are different and I like that鈥擨 like both versions of my life. I鈥檓 at peace.