Fara* sat in the hospital bed, weakened, but resolute. She looked at the team of doctors around her. “You have to help me get better fast!” She pleaded. “I have an exam to take, and I need to do well.”

This determination is a hallmark of Fara, a senior in high school who has grown up near Nigeria’s education center and attended from an early age. She has always been a hard worker, is very involved in church, and helps out willingly around her home.

For females in the village where she lives, academic success hasn’t always been the norm, or even expected among previous generations, but Fara grew up watching her brother strive academically. He is now in Back2Back’s Transition Program studying at university. Watching her brother work hard for his dreams was a fire beneath Fara as she got older, and it has helped her overcome many obstacles in her pursuit for more.

She fell ill recently and was hospitalized as a result for treatment, but was insistent on getting better, and shared her determination with her doctors. Though weak, she was able to leave and take her exams, and scored very high. “I needed to prove to myself and others that my hard work was worth it,” Fara shared.

Ever since she was a little girl, she’s dreamt of becoming a doctor. Her unwavering persistence has served Fara well, and staff are amazed at her refusal to be deterred. Becoming a doctor is still her dream, and with her grit and desire to succeed, she steps closer to it each day.

Sponsorship, prayer, and advocacy are what allow students like Fara to receive educational assistance, medical care, and emotional support when they need it. Together, all across the globe, the Back2Back community is the difference for one.