"It wasn’t a new feeling. In Ethiopia, I attended a school which, unlike Montgomery Blair High School, had a ranking system. Academically, I was at the top of my class, and I was popular among my peers. However, after I came to the U.S, I felt small and insignificant because I had no friends. My confidence dwindled and I participated significantly less in my community. On that first day of BLISS, the same feeling of helplessness sank in....

International Background and Story

Prepare...