Musadiq Bidar’s amazing journey from Afghanistan, to The Athenian School, to George Washington University has received Bay Area print and television coverage.
In “Afghan refugee finds home – and life – in U.S.,” San Francisco Chronicle writer Merideth May chronicles Musadiq Bidar’s journey from Afghanistan to The Athenian School.
The more recent KCBS story shows Musadiq gaining his footing, and expressing amazement, as he matriculates at George Washington University. He is the first person in his family to attend college.
Musadiq Bidar has more mileage and perspective than his American peers and friends. His first 18 years years have taken him from his home in Afghanistan, to a Pakistani refugee camp, and to California. In the interim, he worked as 6 year old rug weaver; fled Afghanistan for a Pakistani refugee camp; endured cold and hunger; and, waited, with his family, to find out if the United States would grant them refugee status.
“…The family abandoned everything and left to live with relatives in the Parwan province in northern Afghanistan, and three years later relocated to refugee camps in Pakistan while they awaited refugee status in the United States.
Seven members of the Bidar family lived in a mud hut with a few blankets, a few pieces of clothing and on good days, rice, flour and oil.
Musadiq remembers constant hunger and the look of failure on his parents’ faces. Once his mother walked an hour in 110-degree heat for a block of ice, which had melted in half by the time she returned.
‘My brother and I, we’d have to last the whole day with that ice cube,’ Musadiq said…”(SFC)
With these experiences under his belt Musadiq brings a healthy perspective and seriousness to his life and work as student. He’s able to focus on the important and let go of the superfluous. Musadiq is a tireless enthusiastic student who’s able to shrug off and set aside small speed bumps and setbacks as he appreciates each, and every opportunity before him.
The son of an Afghan journalist, Musadiq has set his collegiate sights on studying journalism at George Washington University.
It amazes me how much American kids take for granted – if their parents take away their phone or block them from Facebook for a week, they say they’re going to die…I’m so appreciative of everything I have now,” Musadiq told May.
Musadiq told KCBS, “If you’d have told me back then that I would be at Athenian; ready to graduate; go to George Washington; I would probably laugh at you.”
