They are two Grade 12 graduates this year from Rutland Senior Secondary, who have a story to tell.

Dressed in their traditional Syrian attire, the two girls sat quietly and watched other students from different schools be recognized for accomplishments in sports, robotic engineering and creative writing at the Central Okanagan Board of Education meeting on Wednesday (June 12). 

But when it came time for them to speak before the trustees, their story of accomplishment and perseverance was a journey beyond what most students born in Canada could imagine. 

Joined by their RSS counsellor Julie Loveridge-Marks, Jorya Alshahoud and Shahed Al Yaseen Alkhani sat before the trustees and offered a brief synopsis of their journey, fleeing the Syrian civil war and eventually making their way to the Central Okanagan as immigrant refugees with their families. 

Both girls offered their appreciation to Loveridge-Marks for her support in their school education journey at RSS, and the school counsellor in turn was emotional at times. Loveridge-Marks saluted their hard work that has resulted in both earning prestigious scholarships to pursue their post-secondary education. 

"Just to think what they have been through...I am so proud of their hard work and perseverance," said an emotional Loveridge-Marks. 

In their presentations to the board, both girls talked about the difficulties of moving to a new country and learning English.

"When I came to Canada, I thought learning English would be easy to learn the language," said Alshahoud. 

"But when I got here, people were talking in ways that I did not understand."

While hard learning the language at first, Alshahoud, the second member of her family to graduate from RSS following her sister in 2018, came to understand that if you stick with it, understanding English does become easier. 

"I help EL (English Learning) students as a tutor and that is what I always tell them, that journey will get easier the more you study the language," she said. 

Beyond learning a new language for Al Yaseen Alkhani, another challenge was adjusting to the school. 

"I went to school in (Dubai) before we moved to Canada and it was much different. The classes were much smaller and I didn't have to move around too much within the school," she recounted. 

"When I came here, at first I just got lost...just getting around was a challenge."

Yet, in the end, both students earned scholarships that will allow them to pursue their post-secondary studies for careers in the medical field, Alshahoud as a pharmacist and Al Yaseen Alkhani as a doctor. 

To relieve the financial stress, Alshahoud has received a $4,000 scholarship, while Al Yaseen Alkhani is the recipient of a $44,000 scholarship through the Beedie Luminaries program, which assists B.C. students facing financial adversity who have the academic readiness to advance their education.

"I am so proud to see them both graduate and do such great things in their futures," said Loveridge-Marks. 

Jon Rever, Central Okanagan Public Schools assistant superintendent, acknowledged the inspiring academic achievements of both students. 

He said RSS, and the school district in general, is made better as they embrace immigrant students who bring diversity and create an opportunity to understand other cultures in the world. 

"The diversity of students at RSS is exceptional...it is important that we hear you to help enhance our own understanding," said Rever.

"Every student who comes to a school brings their own gifts, their own contributions, and make it a richer place."