Robina Faizizada April 2023

Robina Faizizada has lived in Maine her whole life, her family immigrated here after her father won a scholarship to the U.S. While she didn’t have to overcome any language or cultural barriers, one thing that bothered her, growing up, was the lack of acknowledgement of her native holidays. “When we had a Muslim holiday such as Eid, it wasn’t a thing that everyone celebrated in school, it wasn’t marked on our calendars, so it was hard fitting into American society and at the same time being an Afghan. I feel like, if American students are able to celebrate Christmas and Easter and other holidays, we should incorporate Muslim holidays as well.” Over the years, she has seen progress. “I have seen more diversity in schools in the community itself so that’s good, there are more immigrants coming to Maine, so Americans are getting more familiar with different cultures.” Since graduating from USM with a bachelor’s degree in public health and a minor in business administration, she’s worked at Gateway Community Services Maine as a social worker, assisting adults with autism and as a mentor helping new arrivals from Afghanistan. Her advice for the new kids arriving is simple: “Always stay committed and motivated. If they’re committed and they’re motivated, they’ll always succeed in whatever they want to accomplish in life.”