Moving to a new school can be difficult for any student, but it was especially challenging for Rawan Abboud, who started her freshman year at a school on the other side of the world. Rawan had immigrated with her family to Ventura County from Syria, which had been engulfed in a brutal civil war for more than a decade. “Step by step, we adjusted, and my family stuck together to try to build a new life,” she said. As a new student at Buena High School in Ventura, who barely spoke English, everything from homework to making friends came with added obstacles.
But Rawan was determined to learn, and she never quit. She immersed herself in her studies and even enrolled in classes at Ventura College. As her English improved, she started helping her fellow immigrant students learn the language. That’s when she came up with the idea to launch an Arabic Club with her high school counselor, Natasha Hillis. The club focuses on building community and teaching people about Arabic culture. “I want to help people with their classes, the new language, and finding friends,” she said.
Rawan recently welcomed two incoming students to the club and has been helping them with their transition to their new school. The club also took a field trip to UCLA to meet with the university’s Middle Eastern Student Association. It was a great way for her and her classmates to connect with others who understand their journey.
After graduating, Rawan will attend Santa Barbara City College with her brother, with plans to transfer to UC Santa Barbara or UCLA. She’ll be working toward a career as a civil engineer. “I’ve liked math since I was a child, and I want to pursue a career that involves math,” she said.
Rawan was part of a large group of students who auditioned to be speakers at the upcoming Buena High School graduation ceremony. She was honored to be one of just three selected to address the graduating class. “When I was chosen as a graduation speaker, I was really proud because I never thought that I would be speaking in English in front of a big crowd.” She’s especially grateful to her counselor, Ms. Hillis, and her ELD English teacher, Antoinette Perez, for their constant support and encouragement.
Four years ago, Rawan barely spoke English, and now she’ll be on stage congratulating her fellow graduates in the Class of 2025. “Don’t give up because you started late, or you don’t see yourself as good as others,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where you start your journey; you can get to your goal.”