Experience of a lifetime

WAIMEA — Like President Obama’s daughter, Malia, is doing this fall, Noor Sarwar took a year off between high school and college to explore and learn outside the classroom.

After attending Hawaii Preparatory Academy for 13 years and graduating in 2015, she was admitted to Ivy League school, Brown University, but spent all of the 2015-16 academic year in Morocco on full scholarship with the State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth program. Sarwar returned to Waimea in June.

Common in Europe, taking a gap year is becoming more popular in the United States. More than 30,000 high school graduates have done so to date, and according to Associated Press there was a 22 percent increase in 2015 over the previous year. Institutions of higher learning, like Harvard and Brown, actually encourage a gap year so students have an opportunity to learn more about themselves, pursue passions and possibly gain valuable work experience.

Sarwar, a young American with Pakistani and Soviet descent, accepted the scholarship based on her zeal to understand people from different cultures.

“My background bestowed upon me a unique ability to promote genuine cross-cultural understanding that can make this world a better place,” she said.

Sarwar plans to study international relations, possibly beyond a four-year degree.

“I understand that most graduate programs require proficiency in a foreign language,” she said — another driving force behind her decision to participate in the intensive Arabic immersion program.

During high school, Sarwar first traveled to Morocco in 2014 for the summer. She now considers it a second home, based on the friendships and memories she made there.

“I was very close with my host brother, mom, dad and little cousin, and when I returned to Morocco I was able to visit them from time to time during the year. More than two years later we still keep in close contact, often on Facebook and Whatsapp,” she said.

This past year, Sarwar split her time between two homes along the northwest Atlantic coast in Morocco’s capital city, Rabat, which is rich in history dating back to the 12th century. Little sisters at one of the host families always wanted to dress up in her American-style clothes.

“They wanted to show off to their friends at school,” she said.

Sarwar also felt an invaluable connection with the family.

“I looked forward to my little sisters, Shaimae and Doha, coming to my room before bedtime so they could give me what they called a million ‘bisous’ (French for kisses),” she said.

When not in modern standard Arabic and Moroccan colloquial Arabic courses, Sarwar was busy in two not-for-credit courses: global citizenry and Moroccan culture and society. She also volunteered, teaching English language classes through art, dance and technology to upper class Moroccan teens at her school, as well as at nongovernmental organizations for underserved Moroccan youth from poor neighborhoods.

“These experiences definitely furthered my own cultural literacy,” Sarwar said.

With a full year abroad behind her now, 19-year old Sarwar is wise beyond her years.

One memory especially stands out: Late one night at a tram station, alone she hurriedly inserted coins into the machine to purchase a ticket. An elderly homeless man approached and stood next to the machine. Sarwar grabbed the ticket but then handed it to the man. Words were not exchanged, but before going the man graciously peered into her eyes.

“I felt an unexplainable sense of peace wash over me,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I had enough money for another ticket but when I entered the bill into the slot, the ticket printed and more coins in change were given than expected. It truly felt like a sign, blessing or confirmation that I had done the right thing. Any lack of faith I may have been feeling was restored. It was a wonderful reminder that the world works in mysterious ways.”