Soukaena G. navigates her life based on an analogy told to her by an Academy of Hope (AoH) staff member:
“The analogy is of mountains and our goals. If we viewed our goals as a mountain, we would be on a journey to climb until we reached the peak. At times throughout our lives, there will be new mountains. It was important to never lose perspective of that, and to remember that the journey we were on in school would eventually lead to the peak.”
As an early teen, Soukaena stood near the bottom of her mountain. She stopped attending school in eighth grade for personal reasons. She tried to map out the best path up the mountain, relying on Khan Academy and other online resources to keep up with her studies, but did not make it past the foot.
When Soukaena turned 18, her job search began; she was officially an adult, ready to make a living. But while looking for jobs, she realized the career she wanted required her to hike up the mountain to the peak of earning a high school diploma.
She’d find adult education schools recommended by the Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). She tried signing up for different schools, but her personal reservations and nerves held her back. Luckily, AoH’s easy interest and enrollment process motivated her to continue past the foot and towards the slope, becoming an AoH GED student in 2019.
She was nervous, yet excited to begin her hike. She would take the bus to in-person evening classes at the Ward 8 campus, taking courses in core academic subjects. The journey was smooth upward until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“That was a difficult transition, where I distinctly remember both teachers and faculty members having to reach out to me … They made sure I didn’t give up.”
A moment Soukaena would never forget was when she came in to take a practice GED exam. When now Director of GED and Graduate Services Jenaine Butler led her to the testing room, her heart raced. Past anxieties of the base flooded her mind, causing her to panic and shut down her laptop mid-test. She ran to the bathroom stall and cried, thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’
With the support of her teachers and AoH staff members, Soukaena was reminded that the practice exam was just a momentary setback. Here, she’d be told the mountain analogy, motivating her to get back on her feet and keep climbing.
It reminded Soukaena that she was capable and that the journey up the mountain was worth the destination. Her new mindset encouraged her to retake the practice test. She reached the peak and earned her high school diploma in 2020.
After finishing the GED program, a new mountain formed for Soukaena. She was accepted into American University’s Student Transition Enrichment (STEP!) program, a six-week experience where she finished with a 4.0 GPA. She became a registered student the following fall, where she gained clarity about her passion for Information Technology (IT).
“My interest in technology was due to me kind of making a connection between my ability to catch up academically. I completely believe it was made possible through technology. Had I not had access to the internet and a whole bunch of resources online, I would not have been able to improve health-wise, academically— nor would I have known about Academy of Hope.”
At American, she led a computer science club, Girls Who Code, and interned at Booz Allen Hamilton. Her experience at Booz Allen Hamilton would pivot her interests to cybersecurity.
While she was reaching another peak, Soukaena craved a community that would help her make it to the top, a group of people to climb alongside her and make the journey easier. That community would be back at AoH’s alumni program, Hope Forward.
“Just getting a chance to be around people who are like me, very motivated, very resilient, able to persevere and very ambitious, despite whatever background they come from … It really helped me get back in touch with my initial motivations and move forward [in education and career].”
In fact, the community at Hope Forward encouraged her to apply for the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP). Through the MBSYEP, Soukaena interns at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Office of Advancement. The program gives her a sneak peek into her next climb, as she continues her cybersecurity studies at UDC this fall.
Soukaena’s climb was anything but easy. The path to the summit was steep, winding, and filled with obstacles. Yet fueled by her own determination and the encouragement of those around her, she pushed through the deep valleys of hardship and setbacks. With every step upward, she gained resilience, continuing to elevate herself toward the academic and professional goals that bring her closer to her next peak.