Sitting alone, amidst the clusters of people in the church’s basement, was a girl who looked like she could use a friend. I walked up to introduce myself. Her name was Confidence and she was from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was my first day as a volunteer tutor in a program dedicated to helping refugees reach self-sufficiency. Confidence was fluent in several languages and her family had moved countless times to escape the political turmoil in her country. Confidence told me that she had chosen her name because she was proud of her ability to believe in herself.

I was assigned to tutor Confidence in English; however, I soon realized that even though she stumbled over her English words sometimes, Confidence excelled in math and science. She had gotten the opportunity to apply to a prestigious STEM magnet school and she needed help writing her application essay. I acted as Confidence’s scribe and helped her articulate her dream to become an aeronautical engineer. A few weeks later, Confidence was accepted into the magnet school and I am proud to say that I could help my friend pursue her passion. 

Meeting Confidence taught me that solving the world’s crises does not always lie in sweeping policy changes or international treaties. Humans have created a myriad of divisions amongst ourselves based on gender, race, and nationality. The media portrays the influx of refugees as a drain on society. But what it doesn’t acknowledge is that refugees contribute their skills and talents to play an integral part in our society. I also learned that inclusivity offers a valuable opportunity to learn from people with different perspectives and life experiences. Through this experience, I realized that Confidence and I had one quality in common: we were both trying to fulfill our insatiable curiosities about the world and what lies beyond it. 

One day, Confidence asked me what name I would choose for myself. I chose “Hope.”