Help an Afghan student get to SUNY Geneseo this fall

Help Alireza achieve his lifelong dream of studying in the US!

by David Kent, SUNY Geneseo, Class of '09

Alireza Mohammadi (name changed for his safety; if you’ve had a conversation with me about Afghan students, this is the brother) is a soft spoken and humble musician, so it can be a bit surprising to learn about the ways he lives in quiet defiance of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The first I heard of him was when his sister described the day the Taliban went door-to-door searching every home when they came back into power in 2021. Alireza hid his guitar beneath the floorboards of his home so that the Taliban would not find it as they searched the house. Music is banned in Afghanistan, and punishments are severe.

Scarier still is Alireza’s work as a teacher. When the Taliban took over, they banned education for women and girls. Alireza and his friends launched an online program through which they taught English academic writing to twenty Afghan girls and helped them apply to international universities. He teaches in person too, and has taught English to hundreds of students over the course of six years. Alireza says he will never stop working to improve access to education for the women and girls of Afghanistan. A few months ago, Alireza was caught speaking to one of his students, a girl, in public. The Taliban official who saw this dragged Alireza into an alley and beat him. He didn’t want to worry his mother, but he eventually told her and she sent him to go to the hospital. His ear was badly damaged and it took many months before he could hear properly again- a frightening experience for a musician.

Alireza is a 21-year old scholar from Kabul, Afghanistan. I met Alireza when I was helping his sister apply to college. One day, after months of essay writing and applications she mentioned that her brother was applying too. That was when I learned that after each of our weekly zoom meetings, she would meet with him and share everything she learned so that his applications would improve, too. Alireza was accepted at SUNY Geneseo and plans to start this Fall. Geneseo provided a great aid package and he has been paired with a generous and supportive host family, but he still needs to raise money for the visa application process and for travel to the US.

This is not Alireza’s first college acceptance. Previously, he was accepted to Kalamazoo College with a substantial scholarship, but could not cover the remainder of the costs to attend. This time, his package doesn’t leave any gaps – all we need to do is get him to Geneseo!

The costs

To come to Geneseo to study, he will need an F-1 visa. A critical element of that process is a visa interview, which happens at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Because there is no U.S. diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, he will have to do the interview in Pakistan. The following are the costs we need to cover:

Whenever possible, I will make these purchases directly. For some of the smaller costs where this isn't possible, I will send the funds to the student (for example, some of the visa fees must be paid on site in cash in Pakistan). Any leftover funds will be used to pay for school supplies, clothes, and other necessities.

A message from Alireza

"My name is [Alireza Mohammadi], and I am a student from Afghanistan. I have dreamed of studying in the United States for a long time. This year, I applied to the SUNY Geneseo Fall 2024 program and received admission along with a large scholarship. Seeing my dreams come true is a feeling I have always wanted to experience, and I am incredibly excited to begin this new chapter of my life in a new home. I can hardly imagine the day I take my first selfie with the Bear on the Geneseo campus, see the Gazebo sunset valley view, visit the historic Seuss Spruce tree, or witness my country's flag hanging in the college union patio lobby. For years, I have been teaching English to hundreds of Afghan girls and boys. This experience has allowed me to view the challenges faced by both my students and myself from a unique perspective. I actually realized that high-quality education is the crucial first step toward a brighter future. My dream of studying in the U.S. will not only benefit me but also many other students in Afghanistan who face similar challenges. I aim to use the knowledge and skills I gain to establish an organization that will help other Afghan students access high-quality education. I owe this success to the people who have made it possible for me to come to the United States, and I am eagerly looking forward to meeting them."