First Session with Saleha- October 21, 2015

During my first session with Saleha, we mainly focused on getting to know each other. We introduced ourselves and talked about what we do and our hobbies. I was surprised to find out that she is an accountant at an investment firm in Afghanistan. I am a Corporate Finance and Accounting major and I am also interested in working in the investment world after graduation, so it was great to have that in common. We talked a lot about our goals and aspirations. It was wonderful to hear that one of her dreams is to come to America and study to get her Master’s degree in Economics! We then talked a little bit about American culture. Being from New Jersey, I described what life was like on the east coast and compared it to life in rural settings. I also talked a lot about New York City, and I think she was intrigued by that. She asked me about good colleges to go to, and I recommended a few in the NYC area. It was really great to see how enthusiastic and excited she was to learn English and experience American culture. She told me that after she gets her master’s she would like to return to Afghanistan and spread her experiences in America with her people. She had a very positive outlook towards the United States, and it gave me a lot of hope for peace in the future.