Loran Scholar winner intent on helping people

Windsor student honoured Kubra Ashori is one of six students in Ontario to receive a Loran Scholar's Foundation scholarship. CTV Windsor's Bob Bellacicco explains.

Out of 5,000 applicants, 36 students from across Canada have been recognized by the Loran Scholars, including Kubra Ashori who attends St. Michael’s Adult Catholic Secondary School in Windsor.

“When I got the call I was beyond grateful, beyond feeling blessed,” said Ashori, who feels empowered by the announcement. “It's not just the Kubra you're seeing right now but it's all these other identities that also kind of felt the empowerment, the gratefulness.”

The 21 year old is originally from Afghanistan, the oldest of six siblings. Her family moved to Malaysia in 2017 for safety reasons.

Getting a scholarship brings Ashori joy but she also feels she’s not worthy because of her upbringing, “I feel like I don’t deserve this much. I don’t deserve having this freedom to go to school, to university while my friends and family and [distant] family are in Afghanistan, they are not allowed to.”

Ashori said refugees weren't allowed to go to local schools in Malaysia, “The only hope that we had was these very small community learning centres.”

Ashori tutored younger kids while earning her grade 11 education.

She hopes this is the last generation of Afghan women and girls without access to education.

“Hopefully this will be the last generation who do not have access to education because of their social status, because they are refugees,” said Ashori, who moved to Windsor with her family in February of 2023.

Members of a local mosque pointed her towards St. Michael's Adult Catholic School where she is now a student school catching up on her education.

“Kubra is definitely one of a kind and she's definitely an inspiration to all the students that we have here at St. Michael's,” said Hope McMahon, a teacher at the school.

Her goal is to make a difference.

“I can fundraise some money and help refugee kids in Malaysia and I'm also hoping to see who I can make an impact on Afghan women and girls,” said Ashori.

She wants to have impact in her new country as well. Ashori volunteers regularly and is a freelance translator at the Multicultural Council.

The scholarship for $100,000 includes a mentor who will help her become a nurse. She plans to attend York University in September.

“She's a very, very compassionate person and like she said so herself, she has big dreams and at St. Michael's we're just very proud of her and excited to see what she accomplishes,” McMahon said.

Ashori would like to become a physician one day but also have an impact in the three communities she has called home during her young life, “I’m not certain what I am going to do or achieve but it’s going to be around these communities and how I can help make a change.”