2021 Waynflete School, Portland
$2500 Scholarship Sponsored by Northern Light Health
Whenever I didn’t have much, I had my character.
Kahlil’s family fled Iraq soon after the start of war and after losing many members of their extended family. They experienced hardship in Jordan for years before moving to the United States in 2009. Khalil’s mother suffered a severe fall in 2010, so Khalil and his older brother became her primary care providers, managing the family finances. Khalil took courses in personal finance to improve his skills.
He has participated in the Telling Room’s Young Writers and Leaders Program, helping young recent and first-generation immigrants find their voices. In his senior year former President Barack Obama invited the group to a Zoom meeting to discuss their futures as writers and leaders; Khalil was chosen to lead the introduction and host one of the workshops.
Always focused on helping others, he is described by those who know him as compassionate, calm, humble, and self-aware.