Ethiopian student's Harvard dream hits an unexpected obstacle

Yonas Nuguse believed he was finally destined for Harvard University this year after having survived the Tigray conflict at home in Ethiopia, communication shutdowns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which delayed his dream of finishing high school on time.

However, the Trump administration recently barred the Ivy League school from enrolling international students, saying current students must transfer to other schools or leave the country.

The university filed a lawsuit to challenge the action and a federal judge extended an order blocking the administration’s attempt to bar the enrollment of foreign students on Thursday.

Many students like Nuguse, 21, an aspiring economist, have been left in an uncertain position and debating if they will get to attend one the most prestigious universities in the U.S. in September.

"Since my childhood, I often heard about Harvard, but I was not sure if I belonged there,” he told the Associated Press.

"Then I discovered that someone from my school was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and that motivated me to put all my efforts and hard work for a chance to be considered for such a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Attending Harvard was a dream that was a long time in the making for Nuguse, including having to take a gap year to study and find scarce funds to pay for and take his TOEFL English proficiency test in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

Nuguse scored a near perfect TOEFL grade, coupled with a 675 out of a possible 700 score on his high school exit exam, he became the only student to be accepted to Harvard this year from his high school.

Kalamino Special High School, located in Tigray’s capital, Mekele, is a hub for gifted students from underprivileged backgrounds coming from all parts of Tigray.

Nuguse recalled the challenges of living his formative years during the Tigray war that lasted for the better part of two years and forced the closing of schools in many parts of the vulnerable province.

"The war affected me a great deal and when I found out the news that I was accepted to Harvard, I was ecstatic. I knew it was a proud moment for my family, teachers, mentors and friends, who were instrumental in my achievement,” he said.

Nuguse was granted a visa to study at Harvard, but he worries it might be too late to reverse his decision and attend another university in the U.S. He declined his acceptances to both Columbia University and Amherst College last month.

However, he was sent an email from Harvard this week, telling him to proceed with his registration and highlighting the judge’s order in the ongoing lawsuit.

"I know the U.S. embassy has paused student visa issuance and has cancelled all student visa interviews, but I hope the situation is temporary and I can enroll on time to go on and realize my dream far from reality in Ethiopia,” he said cautiously.